French Open: Iga Swiatek saves match point to level against Naomi Osaka – latest updates (2024)

Can Swiatek take advantage of the lifetime she has been given? Can Osaka recover from that setback?

Swiatek misses with a drive forehand volley. She is livid at the fans for calling out and putting her off, 30-15. To her credit she responds with an unreturned serve but Osaka keeps herself in the game with a cross court forehand winner, 40-30.

Osaka backhand winner, Swiatek barely moves. She has struggled to anticipate Osaka’s shots today.

But she holds on to level the set. This is an absorbing contest.

Perfect start by Osaka as she drills a forehand winner down the line. Swiatek goes after Osaka’s second serve but misses long with a forehand return, 30-15.

Osaka gets a mid court forehand, she has the open court to aim for but nets. That was nervous. 30-30. Can Swiatek take advantage. Osaka goes for a backhand down the line and the ball is long. Break point Swiatek.

Big serve, big forehand winner by Osaka. Back to deuce. Match point Osaka after a massive backhand winner.

Well played by Swiatek. She stretches Osaka wide off the court with an angled backhand return and Osaka nets. Osaka forehand into the net, second break point. The tension is palpable.

Swiatek short return, Osaka races up to it and pushes a backhand long. Swiatek breaks back.

Osaka rushes Swiatek into another forehand error, 0-15. Osaka then crushes a forehand winner down the line, 0-30. She is two points away.

Swiatek miraculously finds the baseline with a deep backhand and Osaka nets. That was very lucky. Osaka nets a forehand, 30-30.

Osaka forehand long, 40-30. Swiatek survives and forces Osaka to serve for it.

Osaka’s last top-10 win was before the pandemic against Kiki Bertens in Brisbane, January 2020. Will she get the job done?

In the stadium, the sound of the rain drumming on the roof is now so loud that we can’t even hear the ball being struck. The weather has been pretty apocalyptic so far this tournament, and the combination of roofs and rain seems to have made the clay claggy and slippery.

I’ve seen both Kasatkina and Svitolina fall over, and even Swiatek - the past-master of movement on clay - lost her footing in that last game.

Miscalculation by Swiatek. She thinks a deep lob by Osaka is long but there is no call and the umpire confirms the ball caught the baseline, 30-30.

Scorching forehand winner by Osaka takes the game to deuce. So much bravery and trust behind that shot.

Wowzers. Yet another massive forehand by Osaka flies past Swiatek to bring up a break point. Osaka gets a look at a backhand up the line but nets. That looked a bit tight. Understandably.

Credit to Swiatek as she holds with a forehand winner to keep her dreams alive.

Osaka playing some fantastic stuff now and Swiatek is in a jittery state, something that does occasionally happen to her against the big hitters (who are usually Jelena Ostapenko or Elena Rybakina).

Osaka has hit 38 winners to Swiatek’s 28, but the key stat is surely break points: Swiatek has converted only one of 11 opportunities, Osaka five of eight.

Swiatek is 1/11 on break points today and 0/8 in this set. She has had the chances but a combination of carelessness and Osaka’s determination has put her in this predicament.

A wild forehand by Swiatek makes it 15-30. That shot was nowhere near making the court. The Pole is losing confidence in her forehand at the moment. But a backhand winner makes it 40-30.

Swiatek finally gets on the board with one of her best points of the set, dominating from the baseline and forcing an error.

Back comes Swiatek: a third double fault of the match for Osaka makes it 0-30 then a forehand winner gives the Pole three break points.

Osaka saves the first when Swiatek nets a backhand. Then second when she narrowly catches the line with a forehand. And the third with an overhead smash winner.

So impressive from Osaka.

But Swiatek keeps herself in the game with a backhand winner down the line to get a break point. Again Osaka saves it with a big first serve followed by a forehand winner. She has been so clutch in the big moments.

Fifth break point for Swiatek, saved again by Osaka. Her first serve is bailing her out of trouble.

And she comes through what could be a hugely decisive game when Swiatek nets a return.

The world No 1 is in big trouble!

It is an onslaught at the moment from Osaka and Swiatek looks as vulnerable as I’ve seen her on clay.

Another beautiful backhand down the line by Osaka makes it deuce. Osaka demolishes a Swiatek second serve with a forehand return winner to earn a break point.

A roar from Osaka after a sensational angled backhand winner. Swiatek cannot read what Osaka is doing at the moment.

Osaka has won eight of the last nine games now.

The question now is, can Osaka maintain the level she showed in the second set?

Good hustle by Swiatek to make Osaka hit another ball and the Japanese badly miscues an overhead with the ball sailing long. Two break points.

Hammer blows with the forehand by Osaka to save the first break point. Then the second with a sixth ace of the match as the ball cleans the line down the T.

Ooooh. Osaka nets a mid court backhand. She can’t believe it. Break point Swiatek. Saved by Osaka as she finds great width with an angled forehand that Swiatek can’t get back into play.

Back-to-back unreturned first serves by Osaka and she hangs onto her serve. She is loving this.

Wow, what a role reversal. There’s a social-media account called “Iga’s bakery”, because 6-0 sets are called bagels and 6-1 sets are breadsticks, and Swiatek hands out plenty. But here she is eating one.

The thing about dominating everyone is that you don’t get to play too many tight matches - although Swiatek did pull out a three-set thriller in the Madrid final v Sabalenka.

You only have to look at Great Britain’s win ratios across the three overseas majors in the 21st Century: the French Open is the only one to stand below 50 per cent. And if we take out Andy Murray, the all-court phenomenon who could beat anyone but the ‘Big Three’ on any surface, that figure drops to a miserable 38 per cent.

At this year’s Roland Garros, British clay-phobia has played out in a sequence of six straight defeats across both men’s and women’s draws, so that not a single player progressed into the second round.

It is a sorry state of affairs, but not a particularly unusual one, because similar wipeouts have already happened three times since the turn of the century, in 2007, 2013 and 2020.

Read more here.

Body language from Swiatek isn’t great. Low energy and seemingly in shock by the barrage of winners from Osaka. A forehand winner by Osaka makes it 15-30.

Then a double fault by Swiatek hands Osaka two set points. Wild Swiatek backhand goes well wide and Osaka comprehensively takes the second set.

Osaka’s backhand is on fire at the moment and Swiatek has no answers for it. She is outhitting and outclassing the best player in the world, who has looked unstoppable on clay.

The Japanese holds to love and is a game away from the set.

Osaka has won 16 of the 20 points played in this set. Four in a row here seals a love service game and puts her within two games of the set.

That has looked like the Osaka of old. And that version was the most dominant player on the tour.

Interesting point from Ons Jabeur on this match earlier, saying that Osaka-Swiatekshould have had the night slot. “I know they’re trying here. I wish they’d try more. It’s not something we’ll change in a day. I’m watching TV every day. A lot of men matches more than women, and is the truth. I mean, I’m not gonna lie about it.

“I think Amelie [Mauresmo, the tournament director and former Wimbledon champion] is doing an amazing job and is trying to change that, but these things, they take time. I wish I can see the change more. Obviously I wish I can see more, like I wish I saw Osaka and Iga’s match today as a night session.”

Belief is flowing through Osaka just as Swiatek appears to be having a drop in level. More errors from the Swiatek racket give Osaka two break points.

Swiatek saves the first when Osaka nets a forehand return. One more chance...

Booooom! Osaka goes after a Swiatek second serve and strikes a brilliant inside out forehand which flies away for a winner and the double break.

That first set was 66 minutes but it flew by. Second double fault of the match opens the door for Osaka at 15-30.

She earns a chance at a break with a blistering backhand winner down the line. And she gets it. Swiatek tamely nets a backhand. A complete loss of focus by the world No 1 to gift the break to Osaka.

Game on?

Osaka forehand goes long, 1-6. Five set points. Deep backhand return by Swiatek and Osaka nets another backhand, 1-7.

Swiatek’s quality, confidence and match sharpness coming through at the best possible time. But Osaka shouldn’t be too despondent. She has played well enough to really scare Swiatek.

Huge backhand return by Swiatek is too hot for Osaka, 0-1. Osaka backhand return into the net, 0-2. Osaka goes down the line with a backhand but just misses, 0-3.

Third backhand error by Osaka, 0-4. Osaka forehand winner down the line, 1-4. Massive hitting by Swiatek, keeping Osaka on the run and forcing the error, 1-5.

Stunning forehand winner down the line by Osaka to start the game. Swiatek didn’t see it coming.

Lovely hands from Swiatek, staying firm to dig out a nice backhand volley winner, 40-15. And she seals a really confident service hold with a forehand winner.

Tiebreak time folks!

At her best, Osaka possesses one of the best first serves in the women’s game and it gets her out of trouble as she guarantees herself at least a tiebreak and forces Swiatek again to stay in the set.

Whatever happens when all is said and done, it is great to see Osaka playing at such a high level.

Some real dramatic tension here. Osaka doing a great job of chipping Swiatek’s attacks back deep from the baseline - a skill set we don’t associate withher - and thus making Swiatek play another ball.

Oftentimes, that next shot has been going out. But Swiatek too solid on the break point and Osaka could regret her overhit backhand.

First double fault of the match to start the game by Swiatek. A sign of nerves? She misses with a backhand down the line and that makes it 30-30. Biggest point of the set coming up.

Great return by Osaka rushes Swiatek, who nets a forehand. Set point Osaka! Osaka gets her return into play but on the next ball sends a backhand just long. That was a chance.

Sigh of relief from Swiatek as Osaka pushes a forehand long. Will she rue that break point opportunity?

Third ace followed by an unreturned serve makes it 30-0. But Swiatek isn’t going away and moves to 30-40 with an exquisite point that ends with a forehand winner.

Relief for Osaka as Swiatek nets a forehand. She can’t believe it. But Osaka doesn’t mind and she holds on to move in front and force Swiatek to serve to stay in the set.

This is bubbling up into a better contest than many had feared after Osaka’s lukewarm first-round win over Lucia Bronzetti. She looks inspired by the scale of the challenge. To date, this could be one of the best clay-court performances of her career.

Interesting technical point in that last game: Osaka stood a couple of feet inside the court to receive Swiatek’ssecond serve on the deuce side, rushing her on the return and forcing an error on shot three. Then, on the advantage side, where Swiatek kicks the ball way out of court with topspin, Osaka stood way back to receive second serve. That worked too.

After racing to 40-0, Osaka pegs Swiatek back to deuce. More good tennis from Osaka and she rushes Swiatek into a forehand error. Break point. Osaka gets a look at a second serve...

Cagey rally, Osaka bides her time, Swiatek hesitates and goes for too much on the forehand, sending the ball long.

Osaka breaks back and gets the reward for her great play so far.

Oooh la la. Lovely touch from Osaka as she slides into a short return by Swiatek and hits a delicate drop shot, 30-15. She then follows that with a fantastic forehand winner on the full stretch.

And she holds again after some big ball striking proves too much for Swiatek, who nets a forehand.

Swiatek looked set for another easy hold at 40-15 but Osaka keeps herself alive with back-to-back winners that zip past the world No 1.

However, Swiatek keeps Osaka at bay with the Japanese’s backhand down the line attempt sails long. Vital for Osaka that she keeps up this level of intensity.

After Osaka thought she had a break of serve in the second game, only for the chair umpire to come down and call the mark “out”, there was such a dramatic switch of momentum thatSwiatek won 12 straight points with some devastating tennis.

Her dominance on this surface is increasingly Nadal-esque.

More problems for Osaka on her serve as she slips to 15-30. But a backhand down-the-line winner and an ace makes it 40-30.

Brilliant running forehand from Osaka completes a much needed service hold for the Japanese.

Osaka is not playing badly. She’s just coming up against a brilliant player.

Swiatek continues to put the ball exactly where she wants it, dictating from the baseline. Back-to-back forehand winners put Swiatek into a 40-0 lead. And she completes a business like consolidation of the break when Osaka nets a forehand return.

Stunning tennis from Swiatek to move to 0-40 on Osaka’s serve. She is making Osaka work so hard to stay in rallies.

More relentless hitting from the world No 1 and she breaks Osaka with a forehand winner into the corner.

Good energy and ball striking from Osaka as she forces an error from Swiatek and earns a break point.

Osaka thinks she has broken after a scorching forehand down the line. But the umpire comes down from her chair and calls the ball out.

To compound Osaka’s frustrations, Swiatek serves out the game to hold.

At the northern end of Roland Garros stands a modernist statue of Rafael Nadal, fashioned from stainless steel. In 10 years’ time, will there be a matching Iga Swiatek beside it?

Like her idol Nadal, Swiatek is a clay-court phenomenon. At just 22, she has already won three French Opens, only one shy of his tally at the same age.

This week Swiatek returns to Paris to continue her relentless pursuit of titles. She comes in on a 12-match winning streak, having just become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to lift the Madrid and Rome trophies back to back.

Her dominance is such that bookmakers are going odds-on on a fourth Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. So, what makes Swiatek such an irresistible force?

Our tennis correspondent Simon Briggs explains all here.

The two players have faced each other just twice before, the last coming in 2022 and won by Swiatek in the Miami Open final.

Since then Swiatek has been the most dominant player on the WTA Tour while Osaka had time away from the sport to give birth to her daughter.

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Good afternoon and welcome to coverage from the French Open as world No 1 Iga Swiatek takes on former No 1 Naomi Osaka in the headline match on day four of the tournament.

Ever since the draw was made last week, the possibility of this second-round match-up had tennis fans excited and it came to fruition after both players came through their opening rounds in contrasting fashion.

Swiatek dropped just three games as she swept aside French wild card Leolia Jeanjean. The Pole is bidding to become the first woman to win three straight French Open titles since Justine Henin in 2007 and she is well aware of the threat posed by Osaka.

“She’s a great person and her game style is pretty fun to watch,” Swiatek said when asked about today’s opponent. I’m glad she came back and she’s playing more tournaments even than before the break.

“I haven’t actually played against Naomi obviously on clay, so we’ll see how that’s going to go.”

On Sunday, Osaka needed a deciding set to beat Lucia Bronzetti as she claimed her first grand slam win since her return to the sport after the birth of her daughter and she knows the scale of the task facing her when she takes on the best player in the world on her best surface.

“I watched her a lot when I was pregnant. It’s an honour to play her in the French Open because she has won more than once here. It’s a very big challenge for me,” Osaka said.

“It’s a test to see where I’m at but I wouldn’t say I have low expectations of myself. I’m a person that thinks that I can win every match that I play.

“That’s gotten me this far. I’d never play a match thinking lowly of myself, no.”