Sabalenka takes out Swiatek to reach French Open final

World number one Aryna Sabalenka moved closer to her first French Open title. She defeated four-time champion Iga Swiatek in a thrilling semi-final.

Sabalenka will face second seed Coco Gauff in Saturday's final. Gauff ended French wildcard Lois Boisson's impressive run with ease.

Sabalenka won the match 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-0. This victory ended Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at the tournament.

Swiatek started slowly but fought back to level the match. However, Sabalenka dominated the deciding set, winning it 6-0.

Sabalenka has three Grand Slam titles, all on hard courts. She has never reached the final in Paris before.

"It feels incredible but the job is not done yet," said Sabalenka. "I'm thrilled with my performance."

"Iga is the toughest opponent, especially here," she added. "I'm proud I managed to get this win."

Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek in 2022, won against world number 361 Boisson. The score was 6-1, 6-2 for Gauff.

Boisson was playing in her first Grand Slam main draw. Swiatek struggled with her serve during the match.

This semi-final was highly anticipated: 'Queen of Clay' versus world number one.

Swiatek and Sabalenka have won six of the last ten majors together. They have dominated women's tennis over the past three years.

However, Swiatek dropped to fifth in the world after a tough season. Sabalenka entered Roland Garros as the favorite.

The pressure of this big match affected both players early on. The roof was closed due to rain in Paris during their match.

Sabalenka adjusted quickly to the heavier conditions that suited her game well. Her strong returns put pressure on Swiatek early on.

Swiatek changed her position at baseline to absorb more pace. After being close to trailing 5-1, she fought back and took a lead at 5-4.

Both players showed signs of tension as momentum shifted back and forth.

Swiatek's serve faltered again; Sabalenka couldn't serve out at 6-5. The first set ended with a tie-break that favored Sabalenka.

The second set began with three consecutive breaks of serve from both players. Eventually, Swiatek regained control and forced a deciding set.

However, her serve dropped again, allowing Sabalenka to advance to her fifth final in seven Grand Slams.

"I think I lost my intensity a bit," admitted Swiatek. "She played strong like in the first set."

Boisson’s remarkable journey came to an end in this semi-final matchup. Fans cheered for their home player for the first time since 20