The second of the women’s semifinal matches is set at the French Open. The question of the tournament is if anyone can beat Iga Swiatek. Well, Beatriz Haddad Maia gets her chance now. Can she do it? Our writers share their thoughts on the match. Predicting this match are Yesh Ginsburg, Damian Kust, Jack Edward, Andreas Pelekis, and Nurein Ahmed. Who do you think will win?
French Open Semifinal Prediction
Iga Swiatek vs Beatriz Haddad Maia
Yesh:
In the intro, I asked if Haddad Maia can stop Swiatek. The simple answer is no. Haddad Maia has a great all-court game, but can’t come close to matching Swiatek’s power or precision. On clay, the Pole is just unstoppable. It will take an elite effort to stop her–one that I’m not sure anyone in the game at all is capable of.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Damian:
Coco Gauff came up with a clear game plan against Swiatek on Wednesday and it still wasn’t enough to grant her a chance in this matchup. Haddad Maia isn’t in the same position as she has beaten the Pole before, although that was on a much quicker court. Going after her serve like that and dominating the baseline to that extent will not be possible here. To make things worse, all the drawn-out battles of the Brazilian this fortnight are bound to catch up with her at some point. Her time spent on court in Paris is more than double the amount that Swiatek has been out there for.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
[cta id=4014 type=cta]
Jack:
Beatriz Haddad Maia may have ground down her opponents enroute to the semifinals but her run stops here. The lefty wall that the Brazilian sets up can be a pain for most players to break out of but Iga Swiatek’s insane movement and solidity off of both wings should prevent her from experiencing those same problems. It takes a huge weapon to rush the World #1 on this surface—for all of her fighting spirit, Haddad Maia doesn’t possess something of that scale in her arsenal.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Andreas:
Światek cruised past Gauff as many expected, as getting a Top 10 win will surely help her match rhythm going into the semis. Meanwhile, Haddad Maia keeps winning thrilling three set matches. I thought she’d tire out against Jabeur, but winning these matches proves she won’t ever back down this tournament and will fight to the end. It could be a close match if Swiatek starts slow, but I feel that Swiatek will bring her best. The Pole is also looking for revenge after losing to Haddad Maia in Toronto, so she’ll want to start off strong.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Nurein:
Iga Swiatek’s numbers at Roland Garros are drawing comparisons to some of the greats in the game. Swiatek’s power and skillset proved too much for Coco Gauff, who leaves Paris with more questions than answers on what it takes to beat the Pole. It’s a minor miracle that Haddad Maia is still standing. She’s got some iron lungs in her after recovering from her marathon win over Sorribes Tormo to upset Ons Jabeur. No player has been able to breathe comfortably while playing Iga Swiatek. Haddad Maia could well be on her last legs here.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
