Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Roland Garros match.
Iga Świątek is chasing her fourth Roland-Garros title and appears to be hitting top gear just in time. Her dramatic win over Elena Rybakina in the previous round could well be the moment that sparks her championship instinct into full effect. Elina Svitolina, meanwhile, pulled off a stunning comeback against Jasmine Paolini and now finds herself on the brink of a first semi-final in Paris in over a decade. But standing in her way is the reigning champion and the biggest obstacle yet.
Elina Svitolina
Svitolina (No.13) has enjoyed a solid clay campaign, winning 11 of her last 13 matches. That said, only two of those victories came against top-15 opposition. Her track record at Roland-Garros remains modest: across 13 appearances, she’s never reached the semi-finals. After cruising through the first three rounds without dropping a set, the Ukrainian was pushed to the limit by Paolini (No.4), saving two match points and grinding out a comeback (4:6, 7:6, 6:1). Her serve was shaky — just 60% first-serve accuracy and four double faults.
Iga Świątek
Świątek (No.5) has been nearly unbeatable in Paris, boasting a staggering 40 wins in 42 matches at the French Open. Her latest test came against Rybakina, where she recovered from a set down to win (1:6, 6:3, 7:5), overpowering the Kazakh in crunch time. On clay this year, Świątek has claimed 10 wins from 13, losing in straight sets just twice. She also holds a 3-1 edge in head-to-heads against Svitolina and has never failed to take at least a set off her.
Elina Svitolina vs Iga Świątek Prediction
Svitolina is likely to put up a fight, but it’s hard to see her keeping pace over the course of two sets. Świątek’s firepower, movement, and confidence on this surface remain unmatched, and she looks primed to progress with minimal fuss.
