“Playing with a madman,” Marketa Vondrousova shares the experience of playing against Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros

Iga Swiatek has lost a total of two games in her last two Roland Garros matches.

“Playing with a madman,” Marketa Vondrousova shares the experience of playing against Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros

Markéta Vondroušová a and Iga Swiatek (via Imago)

Fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova was on the receiving end of a brutal assault in her encounter against Iga Swiatek in the Roland Garros quarter-final. The Czech was comprehensively beaten 6-0, 6-2 in the last 8 of the clay slam.

Speaking to Denik Sport, a Czech media outlet, Vondrousova explained the helplessness of coming up against her formidable opponent. She felt that even her best shots were returned with speed and precision, leaving her baffled.

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It's really like you're playing with a madman (laughs). It's an onslaught on the psyche. You play a good ball and it still comes back just as long and fast. Then a person falls into a state where she is completely exhausted.
Marketa Vondrousova in an interview with Denik Sport

Vondrousova came into this match with a bit of momentum. Like Swiatek, she had lost only one set in the build-up to her quarter-final match, which was a bagel against unseeded American Katie Volynets in the second round. However, the Czech was second best to her opponent in every department.

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Swiatek now moves into the semi-finals on Thursday, where she will battle third seed Coco Gauff. On the other hand, Vondrousova will look forward to the grass court season before returning to Paris for the Olympic Games.

Iga Swiatek puts on a masterclass against Marketa Vondrousova to seal Roland Garros semi-final spot

Reigning women’s champion Iga Swiatek continued her dominant run at the French Open on Tuesday, advancing to the semi-finals with another impressive performance. The World No.1 defeated Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2, setting up a semi-final clash with American third seed Coco Gauff, whom she defeated in the 2022 Roland Garros final.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek clinching her fist (via Imago)

Swiatek has now amassed a remarkable 33-2 career record in Paris and is on track to become the first woman since Justine Henin (2005-07) to win the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for three consecutive years. Only Monica Seles is the other female player to achieve this milestone.

Swiatek’s quarter-final victory followed a swift 40-minute win over Anastasia Potapova in the previous round. Vondrousova did manage to break the Pole’s streak of 20 consecutive games won early in the second set, providing a small consolation.

Since narrowly escaping defeat against Naomi Osaka in the second round, the top seed has reinforced her status as the tournament favorite. Heading into her semi-final match against Gauff, Swiatek has won all 10 of their previous encounters, each in straight sets.

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