Finally, a question that Iga Swiatek found genuinely difficult to answer. Despite hiccups in her previous two matches, first against Danka Kovinic and then, more seriously, when Qinwen Zheng won the opening set of their last-16 meeting, Swiatek has rarely been short of solutions at this year’s French Open.
After a bold start, Jessica Pegula, the 11th-seed and highest-ranked player remaining in the draw other than the world No 1 herself, never looked likely to alter that. Pegula was brushed aside 6-3, 6-2 with typical efficiency as Swiatek, despite the odd moment of exasperation, claimed her 33rd win in a row to reach the semi-finals.
When it came to signing a TV camera, though, Swiatek paused at length, bemused and bereft of inspiration. We’ve all been there, struggling to find the words as a colleague awaits a quick, witty addition to a workmate’s birthday card. The difference in Swiatek’s case was that the someone in question was a global TV audience, which presumably ratchets up the pressure a notch or two.
“Oh my God, this is hard,” exclaimed Swiatek.
How dearly Pegula would have loved to elicit such a response from the former champion. The American has been in fine form of late, reaching the biggest final of her career in Madrid and the last four of the Miami Open, and this was her second successive grand slam quarter-final. But the match began to run away from her in the seventh game after Swiatek broke in controversial fashion, angling away a forehand on the slide off a ball that bounced twice.
“These moments are pretty tricky, because it’s all on the umpire,” said Swiatek. “But if it was two bounces then I’m sorry, I was just too focused to win the point.”
As Pegula was quick to point outwards, there was no doubt the decision was incorrect, a fact that became clear when a replay was shown at the end of the set.
“I hit a really good dropshot and it was against the wind, and I was like, ‘There’s no freaking way she got that.’ I was, like, ‘Seriously?’ But it wasn’t like I didn’t think she got it. I was just, like, ‘Jesus, is she that fast?’ Like, I hit that perfect. I looked at the chair [umpire], and he was like, you know, he didn’t call it. You can’t say anything.
“The problem is, once they make their decision you can’t go back and change it. Because it was the end of the set, I think, they showed the replay on the board and I kind of looked at him, and I was like, ‘It was a double bounce.’ And he was like, ‘Really? I didn’t see that.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, well, they just showed the replay. It was a double bounce.’ But, you know, what are you going to do?”
It will be Daria Kasatkina’s turn to ask that question next after the 20th-seeded Russian defeated her compatriot Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) to reach her first grand slam semi-final.
“Everything happens for the first time and I’m really happy to be in the semis,” said Kasatkina, a former world No 10, who defeated Swiatek on the grass courts of Eastbourne last year but has won just 11 games against her in their three hard-court meetings this year.
“She’s good on a hard court, she’s good on, so it doesn’t matter,” said Kasatkina. “I think for me it’s better to face her on clay. Also, I mean, I have now a good run on clay, so I feel good here.”
Swiatek, the champion two years ago, will no doubt feel the same. She is through to her third major semi-final, having reached the same stage of the Australian Open in January, and her confidence is palpable.
“I kind of feel like the sky’s the limit for me, so I feel more free right now, I feel like I’ve proven myself,” she said. “A lot has changed in my mind and for sure I also realise that I can actually be No 1 and really cope with it properly.”
The same cannot be said for TV cameras. After much deliberation, Swiatek eventually scrawled the message, “Getting old but still fresh,” a nod to the fact that she celebrated her birthday on Tuesday. She then added the hashtag “22” before exclaiming, “No, wait,” and altering it to read “21” – her actual age now.
“It happens,” she laughed, “It’s so much already, the numbers are big.”
At 33 wins and counting, the third best winning run in the women’s game this century, they certainly are.
On a more serious note, Swiatek expressed disappointment over comments made by tournament director Amélie Mauresmo, who suggested that the decision to feature only one women’s match in the 10 available night session slots was down to the relative lack of appeal of the women’s game.
“In this era that we are in right now, I don’t feel bad or unfair saying that right now you have more attraction, more attractivity [in] general, for the men’s matches,” said Mauresmo, a former world No 1 and Wimbledon champion.
“It was tough for more than one night to find, as you say, the match of the day.”
Alizé Cornet defeated Jelena Ostapenko, the 13th seed and former champion, in ihe only women’s night match of the fortnight.
“It is a little bit disappointing and surprising, because she was also in the WTA,” said Swiatek. “From my point of view, for every player it’s more convenient to play at normal hour, but for sure I want to entertain and I also want to show my best tennis in every match.
“So I think it’s kind of the personal opinion of every person if they like men’s tennis or women’s tennis more, or if they like them equally. But I think women’s tennis has a lot of advantages. Some may say that it’s unpredictable and girls are not consistent. But on the other hand, it may also be something that is really appealing, and it may really attract more people. So it depends on the personal views of some people.”