Swiatek s’incline face à Zheng : la chute de la reine du Roland Garros.

Swiatek Concedes Backhand Struggles in Paris Olympics Loss

Iga Swiatek believes her regularly reliable backhand shot faltered badly during her semifinal defeat at the 2024 Paris Olympics in a candid post-match assessment.

Swiatek, unbeaten at Stade Roland Garros since 2021, in a run that includes 25 straight match wins, lost to Qinwen Zheng of China. This result sent shockwaves through the Olympic tennis tournament.

It’s not often that Swiatek, winner of four of the last five French Open titles, finishes on the wrong end of a match result on her favorite surface. But it happened, and the Paris Olympics X account referred to the monumental upset as an “earthquake” at Roland Garros.

Swiatek’s Setback and Zheng’s Resilience

Swiatek was slow off the blocks early on. She dropped her serve three times in the first set, which lasted 40 minutes, as Zheng controlled proceedings from the baseline.

The Chinese player had previously stretched Swiatek to three sets during their first-ever head-to-head meeting at the 2022 French Open. Zheng’s dominance was just a passing cloud, and Swiatek fought back to force a third set.

However, Zheng maintained her composure, turning the set around to clinch victory in straight sets despite a fierce comeback attempt by Swiatek.

Swiatek’s Emotional Post-Match Interview

Speaking to Eurosport Poland after the match, Swiatek was emotional and highlighted the ineffectiveness of her backhand during the game, attributing it to stress and technical issues.

The lack of recovery time between matches in the Olympic tournament hindered Swiatek’s ability to adjust and refine her game, ultimately giving Zheng the edge in their encounter.

Despite her defeat in the semifinal, Swiatek still has a chance to secure a spot on the podium as she prepares to face Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedova in the bronze medal match.

Zheng will compete against Croatia’s Donna Vekic for the gold medal, with the runner-up receiving the silver medal.

Source : tennis-infinity.com