Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff certainly know each other well, with the duo having met 11 times before their 2024 French Open semi-final clash.
And it is the former who undoubtedly holds the bragging rights, winning 10 of those encounters over the years.
But it isn’t just Gauff who the four-time Grand Slam winner has dominated in recent times, with many other players feeling her full force.
The Pole stormed into another French Open semi-final to set up another meeting with the American, who would have been well aware of the tough task at hand.
Number three seed Gauff earned praise from her last-four opponent going into the tie, with Swiatek noting how the American’s mental game has improved.
Chris Evert analysed what Coco Gauff did wrong against Iga Swiatek
But that improvement wasn’t enough to come out on top on the clay this time around, with the world number one brushing her aside to reach a third successive Roland Garros final.
Swiatek powered to a 6-2, 6-4 victory, but it was the unforced errors from Gauff that caught the eye of seven-time French Open winner Chris Evert.
“I would classify this performance by Coco Gauff so far with one word; inconsistent,” Evert said on Eurosport during the match.
“Every time Coco has an opportunity, you feel like the momentum could shift and she could start playing better. But then she follows with some unforced errors.
“We know she has better tennis in her and hopefully she’ll find it.”
Where did it go wrong for Coco Gauff in the French Open semi-final?
Like Swiatek, Gauff has been in formidable form on the clay, losing just one set on her way to the last four.
That came against Ons Jabeur in the quarters, with the American third seed needing to come from behind to beat the Tunisian.
That victory would have given her confidence going into the last-four clash with the world number one, even with Swiatek at the very top of her game.
Gauff’s head-to-head record versus the Pole, however, may have played on her mind in the build-up to their highly-anticipated encounter.
But the American will be frustrated with her display on court Philippe-Chatrier, with Gauff simply making far too many unforced errors, with her forehand particularly letting her down.
Swiatek was always going to be difficult to beat, but the number three seed definitely had moments to unsettle her opponent.
She failed to capitalise on those moments, allowing the Pole to continue her dominance on clay and reach yet another Roland Garros final, with Andy Roddick predicting her to clinch another title.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
