World No.1 Iga Swiatek will play for her fourth Grand Slam title, and third at Roland Garros, in two days' time after beating No.14 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 7-6(7) in Thursday's second semifinal on Court Philippe-Chatrier. 

Just as she did in 2020, when she won her first Grand Slam title as the unseeded World No.54, Swiatek hasn't dropped a set en route to the final. On Saturday, she will face unseeded Karolina Muchova, who saved a match point in a stirring 3-hour, 13-minute comeback against No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Swiatek's win, coupled with Sabalenka's defeat, also ensured Swiatek will retain the No.1 ranking after Roland Garros concludes, whatever the result against Muchova. 

"I'm just pretty happy to be in the final again," Swiatek said afterward. "It was a tough match, and especially second set, every point counted. It was stressful in some moments, so I'm happy that I was really solid and I was able to close it in the tiebreaker.

"It wasn't easy, and Beatriz really played well. I'm just happy."

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How the match was won: Though she improved to 12-0 in sets at the event with the 2-hour, 9-minute win, Swiatek came the closest she's come to being pushed the distance against Haddad Maia. She saved a set point in the second-set tiebreak, and eight games marked the most she lost in her six matches so far this fortnight.

Haddad Maia, who beat Swiatek in three sets on hard courts last summer in Toronto, was ahead 5-3 in the tiebreak and had a chance to extend the match at 6-5, but missed a forehand in the net at that juncture. The Brazilian, who won from a set down in the fourth round and quarterfinals to become the first woman from her country to reach the Roland Garros semifinals, had previously led 3-1 in the second set, and also had three break points against Swiatek's serve at 4-4.

"She's really using the fact that she's a lefty," Swiatek said. "She's really using her spin on the serve. It's just tactically a little bit different. You always have to kind of address and switch most of the things that you do on court because she's a lefty.

"I just knew that I can really use my power on clay and even make it physical if I need to."

Scouting Swiatek vs. Muchova: After turning around an 0-1 head-to-head against Haddad Maia, Swiatek will seek to do it against Muchova. The Czech won their only prior meeting -- 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in Prague, four years ago -- when Swiatek was a 17-year-old ranked No.95 in the world.

"I played many practices with her since 2019, and I also watch her actually more than most of the players. Just a coincidence, but it happened," Swiatek said.

"I really like her game, honestly. I really respect her, and she's I feel like a player who can do anything. She has great touch. She can also speed up the game. She plays with that kind of freedom in her movements. And she has a great technique. So I watched her matches and I feel like I know her game pretty well.

"But obviously on matches, it's a little bit different and I'll be ready no matter what."