French Open 2023 semi-final result: World Number one and reigning champion Iga Swiatek beats Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia

It’s all over! The defending champions comes good when it matters most. She thumps away a smash to take the breaker 9-7 and the match in two hours and nine minutes.

It’s her 27th win in 29 matches at RG but she was pushed hard by the Brazilian.

Swiatek will now meet Muchova in Saturday’s final - the Pole's third final in four years.

The top seed dominates the rally off a second serve and thunders a crossourt forehand winner to lead 8-7 in the breaker...

The Pole bends low and arrows a backhand into the far corner. It's 7-6 in the breaker and match point...

Bia to serve...

A super rally ensues but Haddad Maia comes good with a forehand up the line that licks the line! It's 7-7 in the breaker!

Haddad Maia comes out on top following a fabulous rally to nudge in front with a lovely backhand volley. The Brazilian senses the moment but dumps a volley into the net at 5-3 and Swiatek levels up.

The Pole then blows a backhand long to cough up set point but the No.14 seed gets tight and lashes into the net.

On we go!

Swiatek cleans the baseline with a bewitching backhand return winner but the rest of her game is very shaky, particularly the forehand. The errors put Bia in charge but she can't pull clear and Swiatek levels it at 3-3 at the change of ends.

Iga corks an absolutely brilliant backhand down the line to pose a question at 15-30 but then misses twice off the same flank to give Bia respite.

The Brazilian makes sure with a fierce, deep forehand and takes us into as breaker.

Iga seems to recognise the stakes involved and lifts her level, unloading a sizzling backhand up the line and a couple of clutch serves to dart through a game to love.

If she can maintain that form in her final return game of Set 2 it could yet spell trouble for Bia.

‘Solid as a rock, and we expect nothing else,’ is the comment on Eurosport Comms as Haddad Maia ignores the scoreboard pressure to ease to a hold to 15.

So near and yet so far for Haddad Maia.

Swiatek doesn’t do enough with a mid-court forehand and Bia punishes her with the pass.

The Pole then hooks an awkward backhand into the tramlines to cough up two break points.

Iga saves both with a backhand up the line and a timely ace but then lashes long to offer up a third chance.

The Brazilian fizzes long and can’t make any further inroads as Iga survives a thorough examination of her serve once again.

Bia jumps into a stylish backhand crosscourt winner to pull level on the board after Iga had briefly threatened at 15-30.

It feels like Haddad Maia is on top but the score suggests otherwise…

It’s another rollercoaster of a game from Iga but she just about solves the puzzle, fending off break point with a ferocious forehand up the line and then getting a huge slice of luck on game point with a net cord following a superb 21-shot rally.

That’s more like it from the top seed. She starts to probe and dictate, dragging Bia around the court with more certainty to her play.

The Brazilian survives one, one-sided rally with an improvised forehand up the line, but she’s carved apart from 30-15 and arrows a shot into the tramlines to hand the break back.

It’s a mixed bag from the reigning champion but she finds a big forehand up the line and then a clutch serve to finish off an awkward game to 30.

You don’t see Swiatek misfiring so badly very often. The top seed pushes too hard on the forehand and leaks a trio of woeful errors of that flank. The 22-year-old does sizzle a stonking crosscourt return winner but it makes little difference as the Brazilian easily consolidates.

Just how big a challenge is it to beat Iga at Roland Garros? The stats back up the nickname of the Clay Queen as she’s won 26 of her 28 career matches here.

And yet she looks a bit tight at times here. Once again Haddad Maia eats away at her, turning a 30-15 deficit around and luring a couple of surprising errors from the Pole to earn a deserved break at the start of Set 2.