French Open 2023 Day 13 recap- Iga Swiatek close to defending title and more
Day 13 of the French Open was an eventful one as we inch closer to the tournament's end. The women's singles final has been decided, with reigning champion Iga Swiatek facing Karolina Muchova.
Muchova reached her maiden Major final by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-5 in a thrilling clash that lasted three hours and 17 minutes. Swiatek became the youngest woman to reach back-to-back French Open finals since Ana Ivanovic by beating 14th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 7-6(7).
The men's doubles semifinals also took place with fourth seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek taking on the Belgian duo of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen. The mixed doubles event came to an end with Miyu Kato and Tim Putz crowned the champions by beating Bianca Andreescu and Michael Venus.
On that note, let's take a look at some of the talking points from Day 13 at Roland Garros.
#1. Iga Swiatek one match away from successfully defending French Open title
Iga Swiatek's domiant run of form at the French Open continued as she registered another straight set win, this time over 14th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the semifinals.
The Pole started the match brilliantly and cruised to a one-set lead after winning the opening set 6-2. Haddad Maia started the second set strongly and made an early break. However, the World No. 1 broke back and a tiebreak would determine the fate of the set.
Haddad Maia had a set point but Swiatek saved it and eventually went on to win 9-7 to book her place in the French Open final for the second year in a row. The Pole is just one win away from becoming only the second woman to defend her title at the clay-court Major this century.
#2. Karolina Muchova reaches maiden Grand Slam final
Karolina Muchova's dream run at the French Open continued as she produced one of the upsets of the tournament to defeat Aryna Sabalenka.
The Czech, in her second Grand Slam semifinal, won a tight opening set 7-6(5). The second set also went to a tiebreak, which Sabalenka won 7-6(5) to force the match into a decider.
The Belarusian dominated the final set and cruised to a 5-2 lead. However, Muchova produced a terrific comeback as she won five games on the trot, that included saving a match point, to win the match and reach her maiden Grand Slam final.
#3. Miyu Kato wins the mixed doubles title at the French Open
Miyu Kato was the subject of one of the more controversial moments at Roland Garros this year. The Japanese, along with her women's doubles partner Aldila Sutjiadi, were defaulted after Kato accidentally hit a ball girl during the pair's third-round fixture against Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Kato's tournament had a remarkable ending, however, as she won the mixed doubles title with Tim Putz as her partner. The pair reached the final and were up against Bianca Andreescu and Michael Venus.
The duo from Canada and New Zealand won the opening set 6-4 but Kato and Putz managed to make the decisive break and take the second by the same margin to force the match into a tiebreaker. The Japanese-German pair won 10-6 to become the mixed doubles champions.