Iga Swiatek loses on clay for the first time in 2022, Caroline Garcia becomes first Frenchwoman to beat a World No. 1 on clay since 2005
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek suffered her first defeat on clay this season as she was stunned by Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals of the Poland Open in Warsaw.
Although the Frenchwoman started the match brilliantly and won the opening set 6-1, Swiatek roared back into the match by taking the second set by the same scoreline. With everything to play for in the deciding set, Garcia won the final set 6-4 to script one of the upsets of the season.
@CaroGarcia snaps Swiatek’s 18-match clay win streak, defeating the World No.1, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4!Upset COMPLETE 🚨
🇫🇷 @CaroGarcia snaps Swiatek’s 18-match clay win streak, defeating the World No.1, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4!
#PolandOpen https://t.co/gnkTjBGAeL
The Pole entered her home tournament having won 16 successive matches on the red dirt. She extended her winning streak on the surface to 18 by beating Magdalena Frech and Gabriela Lee before Garcia ended her run on Friday.
Swiatek has won three tournaments on clay this season, starting with the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, where she beat Aryna Sabalenka in the final. The 21-year-old then successfully defended her title at the Italian Open with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ons Jabeur in the title clash.
Swiatek's finest achievement of the season so far came at the French Open, where she won her second Grand Slam singles title, defeating Coco Gauff in the final.
With victory over Iga Swiatek, Caroline Garcia becomes the first Frenchwoman to beat a World No. 1 since 2005
With her victory over Iga Swiatek, Garcia became the first Frenchwoman to beat a World No. 1 since Mary Pierce in 2005. The two-time Grand Slam champion defeated Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals of the French Open back then.
2005 - Caroline Garcia is the first French female player to win a clay courts match against the #1 ranked player since Mary Pierce at the Roland Garros 2005, against Lindsay Davenport. Chapeau.
@WTA_insider @WTA https://t.co/Cy7AqvH9cy
This was Garcia's first-ever win over a reigning World No. 1 as well, a victory that took her into the semifinals of the Poland Open. The Frenchwoman will face 10th seed Jasmine Paolini up next, where a victory would pit her against either Kateryna Baindl or Ana Bogdan in the summit clash.
Garcia is the highest seed left in the competition and has a very good chance of winning it. If she does, it will be her second trophy of the season, having previously won the Bad Homburg Open.
After her quarterfinal exit, meanwhile, Iga Swiatek will look to do well in the US Open Series. The Pole's next tournament will probably be the National Bank Open in Toronto and she will be a heavy favorite to win it.