Key occasions
In her pre-match press convention, Sabalenka stated that she and Swiatek carried out a TikTok in combination on the WTA finals – at her behest – and because then, were at the street to turning into buddies. They’re no longer there but, however they do on occasion practise in combination now and even though I doubt they ever lose the frisson completely it’s additionally great that they’re getting on.
On which level, we had been speaking about Chrissy a second in the past, and her friendship with Martina is so profound and authentic as to be shifting. If yiou’ve no longer noticed the 30 for 30 at the matter, please achieve this urgently.
Until that time, even though, I’m going for a Swiatek v Boisson ultimate. The former will, I feel, have an excessive amount of selection and dexterity for Sabalenka; she expects to win, she’s enjoying smartly sufficient, and he working out of angles will have to stay the sector no 1 at the transfer.
Boisson, in the meantime, has the benefit of wonder and momentum. Moreover, Gauff isn’t enjoying all that smartly, and I don’t consider her forehand beneath the power it’s prone to face this afternoon.
Ahhhh, Chris Evert is within the TNT studio, and the nice information is she’ll be co-commentating for us. As it is going, tennis is miles at the back of maximum different sports activities in explaining the technical subtleties and so forth, however Chrissie is glorious and I will be able to’t stay up for her to inform me what to suppose.
Preamble
Salut à tout le monde et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 2025 – 12ème jour!
Et quelle journee nous attend! Yes, it’s true we’ve handiest two singles suits, a fact tinged with unhappiness – the match is just about over – but if they’re as excellent as the 2 quickly to get beneath manner, they’re greater than suffisamment.
First up, Iga Swiatek, the three-time protecting champion, continues her bid for the primary four-peat within the girls’s recreation. Though she’s had a hard yr, she’s settled proper again in at her house from house and the way in which she’s been enjoying, it’ll take one thing important to prevent her.
But Aryna Sabalenka, her opponent this afternoon, is that and lots, a bristling, bouncing obelisk of cartoonish energy and creativity. Though clay isn’t a herbal a floor for her – she doesn’t transfer in addition to Swiatek – she is greater than able to overriding that downside. Mike Tyson famously stated that “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” and a tournament towards Sabalenka is the tennis an identical of mountaineering into the hoop with him at the different facet.
And if that wasn’t sufficient, following them directly to courtroom are Coco Gauff and Loïs Boisson – the primary wild card to achieve the semis within the open generation. Gauff has by hook or by crook been round for 30 years regardless of being handiest 21, her athleticism, temperament and backhand giving her a good shot of including to the only grand slam name she’s received up to now.
But to be triumphant right here, she’ll wish to play a lot, significantly better than she did the day gone by, her tournament with Madison Keys environment a brand new mark for the space between degree of avid gamers and same old of play. Moreover, in Boisson, she faces an all-round ability, it seems that absolutely shaped, and entirely absorbed within the joyous within the strategy of pronouncing itself to the sector – in entrance of a house crowd. She will really feel like she will be able to’t lose – and the similar is going for us. On y va!
Play: 2pm BST