In a clash between two four-time Grand Slam champions, world No.1 Iga Swiatek saved a match point and recovered from a 5-2 deficit in the third set to battle past former No.1 Naomi Osaka in the second round of Roland Garros on Court Philippe-Chatrier, 7-6(1) 1-6 7-5 in two hours and 57 minutes.
In the first set, Osaka had a break point for a 2-0 lead, but then the new mom on tour lost three consecutive games. An early love break gave three-time French Open winner Swiatek a lead, but Osaka later leveled the score to 4-4. At 5-4, Osaka had a set point, but Swiatek managed to equalize to 5-5 and subsequently raced through the tiebreak.
In the second set, Osaka surged to a double break 3-0 lead in just 10 minutes and consolidated her advantage to extend the lead to 4-0. In the fifth game, Swiatek finally got on the scoreboard, but Osaka maintained her dominance, converting her first set point to take the Roland Garros blockbuster to a decisive third set.
Osaka’s resurgence continued in the decider, as she opened with a 3-0 lead, winning nine of the last ten games against the two-time defending Roland Garros champion. The Japanese even managed to overcome a 0-40 deficit on her own serve in the final game of that stretch!
In the ninth game of the third set, Osaka made a few critical errors that shifted the momentum to Swiatek’s side. The Pole saved a match point and broke Osaka’s serve, sparking hopes of a complete turnaround as her opponent began moving less swiftly on the court and playing less risky. From 2-5, Swiatek battled her way up to 6-5 and found herself serving for the match! The favorite comfortably won her service game and the very hard match that she almost lost a few games earlier.
