By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday June 7, 2021
And then there were eight. And among those eight, the only Top 10 seed standing is Iga Swiatek.
It has been a remarkable run of events for the Polish sensation, who became the youngest player to win Roland-Garros in 28 years last fall, when she stormed to the title in Paris without the loss of a set.
Same year, different story—at least so far.
Swiatek, who powered past 18-year-old Marta Kostyuk on Monday, 6-3, 6-4, stretched her Roland-Garros winning streak to 11 matches and 22 consecutive sets won, and set a clash with World No.18 Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals.
After her victory Swiatek talked about her focus on playing consistency and avoiding the pitfalls that many players go through after winning their first Grand Slam.
“I just started working the same as I did last year,” she said. “I had the same attitude. I just wanted to go forward, not do the same mistakes as, you know, many players have had and have, you know, been sharing about after winning a Grand Slam. It's sometimes hard to come back and, you know, compete with expectations.”
That eye-opening streak is not quite on par with King of Clay Nadal, who has won 34 matches and 35 sets in succession after today, but Swiatek’s rise to the top of women’s tennis, particularly on tennis has been perhaps the biggest story of the last 52 weeks.
Tonight she passed another tough test to take down Kostyuk, an 18-year-old with a well-rounded game and A-plus movement.
After the match Swiatek told reporters that she enjoys close matches, because they help her sharpen up her focus.
“I like it because, you know, it keeps me constantly on my toes,” she said. “It just keeps you, like, focused all the time. Right now I'm getting tested... Still I'm moving forward, so that's even better for me.
Swiatek broke open a very tight first set with a break for 5-3, before serving the set out.
The second set was also tense. After a trade of breaks Swiatek broke critically for 4-3, then saved a break point in the next game to stretch the lead to 5-3. Kostyuk battled to save a break point of her own to close to 4-5, but Swiatek took care of business, holding to 30 to close out the contest in one hour and 32 minutes.
The Quarterfinals Features only One Top-10 Seed
The last eight are set at Roland-Garros on the women’s side, and after plenty of draw upheaval there is only No.8 seed Iga Swiatek standing among the Top 10. But it doesn’t mean that the field isn’t buzzworthy. 17-year-old Coco Gauff, the youngest Grand Slam quarterfinalist since 2006 is in. Maria Sakkari, the first Greek woman to reach the quarterfinals of a Slam, is in. Paula Badosa, one of the hottest clay-courters in 2021, is in.
Here is the full field, which includes two unseeded players , a teenager, and nobody over the age of 30.