Iga Swiatek and Sofia Kenin Will Meet in the French Open Final

Kenin immediately broke Kvitova back and then held serve to reach her second major final of 2020.

“I’m just really fierce,” she said in her on-court interview after the match. “I’m just fighting for every point. I’m in the semis. They are not going to give it to me. I really have to go out and fight for it.

“I feel in the past I’ve always expected them to make mistakes,” she said. “Now I have the mind-set that I’ve got to take it, got to take the chance and take a risk.”

After her breakthrough season in 2019, Kenin has broken new barriers this year despite the five-month tour hiatus. She is 16-1 in Grand Slam singles play in 2020. But she is about to face another player rising very quickly.

“I’m kind of surprised really,” Swiatek said. “I would have never thought at this tournament I would play so good here, but on the other hand, I always knew if I was going to be in the final of a Grand Slam it would be the French Open. So I’m really happy. It’s a dream come true.”

Swiatek may end up playing two finals this year. She is in the semifinals of the women’s doubles with American partner Nicole Melichar. The last woman to win in both singles and doubles at Roland Garros was Mary Pierce in 2000.

Swiatek, who finished high school earlier this year, is the first Polish player to reach the French Open women’s singles final since 1939 when Jadwiga Jedrzejowska lost to Simonne Mathieu of France. Mathieu now has a court named for her at Roland Garros.

Swiatek and Kenin have not played on the professional tour, but they have faced each other on the red clay in Paris. Swiatek beat Kenin 6-4, 7-5 in the French Open junior event in 2016 in the third round. Both have come a long way since then.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/sports/tennis/french-open-womens-semifinals-iga-swiatek-sofia-kenin-petra-kvitova.html