Iga Swiatek, The No. 1 Seed, Was Defeated By Zheng Qinwen Of China In The Semifinals At The Paris Olympics.

In a surprising setback for the No. 1-ranked woman and champion at the French Open, 20-year-old Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek lost to China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 7-5 in the Paris Olympics semifinals on Thursday. Swiatek has been dominant on red clay and at Roland Garros, the facility used for the French Open and the site for tennis during the Summer Games.

This defeat came as a shock to many considering Swiatek’s previous success against Zheng and her position as the WTA’s top-ranked player since April 2022. With a head-to-head advantage of 6-0, Swiatek seemed poised for victory. However, she faltered when she appeared to be making a comeback in the second set.

The post-match scene was filled with disappointment as Swiatek refused to take questions from print reporters. Walking through the mixed zone area, the Polish player, with flushed face and red eyes, apologized briefly and said, “Sorry. Next time.”

Meanwhile, Zheng’s victory ensures China of its first singles medal in Olympic tennis since the sport returned to the Games in 1988. In the gold-medal match, Zheng will face 13th-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia, who defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-4, 6-0 in the other semifinal.

Swiatek’s past success against Zheng included a victory in the same stadium during the fourth round of the 2022 French Open, where she eventually clinched the title. However, this week has not been as smooth for the Polish player.

In the quarterfinals, Swiatek faced a tough three-set battle and even got hit by a ball from her opponent’s racket, resulting in Danielle Collins retiring from the match due to an injured stomach muscle. Swiatek was then criticized by Collins for being insincere during their on-court conversation.

In the semifinal, Zheng capitalized on Swiatek’s unforced errors, including a crucial double fault, to take an early lead. Swiatek managed to break back, but Zheng maintained her dominance by winning the next four games. However, during a break in the match, things changed dramatically.

When play resumed, Swiatek regained her composure and began exhibiting her trademark heavy forehands. She had a chance to take the second set with a 40 advantage, but Zheng refused to concede and managed to level the score at 4-4. In the end, a disputed line call favored Zheng, crowning her the winner of the match.

On the men’s side, in the quarterfinals, Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, Lorenzo Musetti toppled Tokyo Games champion Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz beat Tommy Paul, and Felix Auger-Aliassime outlasted Casper Ruud. Djokovic will face Musetti, while Alcaraz will take on Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals on Saturday.