Iga Swiatek vs Beatriz Haddad Maia Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA French Open

Prediction published on 07/06/2023, 14:09  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 07/06/2023 at 15:09 in Tennis Predictions

Defending champion Iga Swiatek takes on the 14th seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia in the Roland Garros semi-final. This isn't just about whether Swiatek can reach the final at Roland Garros for the third time in four years. There's also the possibility that the Pole will lose her world number one ranking. That will happen if not doing better than Aryna Sabalenka in this tournament. Swiatek has won just the two titles this year and hasn't been as dominant as she was this time last year. Her titles have come in Doha and on clay in Stuttgart. Two other finals have been lost by the 22-year-old. At Roland Garros, the world number one (second in the live list) has made it to the last four without dropping a set. Four sets have been won to love but only one seed met. That was in the last eight when beating Coco Gauff in a repeat of last year's final.  This is her second match against Maia and the only meeting so far saw Maia win in three sets in a hard court match last year.

Beatriz Haddad Maia had never reached the last eight at Roland Garros before this year. The 14th seed is up to to a career high tenth in the live rankings and will climb to eighth if beating Swiatek. Until this week the Brazilian has a terrible record in Grand Slam tournaments consdering her high ranking. This is the first time that she's made it past the second round of a Grand Slam and she's been playing them since 2015. Only one main draw match had been won at Roland Garros before this year. Two quarter finals had been reached on clay before this run to the last four in Paris. Four sets have been lost on her way to the semi-finals and three times she's had to win from behind. That was the case when beating the fourth seeded Ons Jabeur in the quarter finals.  Maia may have won her only meeting with Swiatek but this is the first match on clay and it's the top seed who can win in straight sets.