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By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, June 7, 2023
The physique blow Coco Gauff inflicted on Iga Swiatek wasn’t a malicious strike, the sixth seed stated afterward.
Blistering a backhand drive into the physique, Gauff tattooed the two-time Roland Garros champion knocking her to the grime within the third recreation of the second set. Gauff raised her hand and instantly apologized for the strike.
Swiatek shook off the shot, rose from the crimson clay with a swath of crushed crimson brick streaked throughout her shoulder and dusted Gauff 6-4, 6-2, scoring her twelfth straight Roland Garros win to achieve the semifinals for the third yr.
Requested concerning the trade afterward, Gauff stated “I did not attempt to hit her.”
Declaring she missed an analogous backhand a couple of factors earlier, Gauff stated she was attempting to hit laborious via the center of the court docket and caught Swiatek within the course of.
“The final level I misplaced as a result of I used to be avoiding the — I sort of shanked the backhand. Then the subsequent one I stated if I get it once more, I am not going to hit my goal,” Gauff stated. “It wasn’t her. I did not attempt to hit her.
“I used to be simply attempting to hit the ball laborious in the course of the court docket.”
Prevailing in a rematch of the 2022 ultimate, Swiatek swept Gauff for the seventh time in as many conferences. The world No. 1 stated she would not imagine Gauff tried to hit her.
“I do not actually know if that was her solely possibility or not, however I do know Coco is a pleasant particular person, and she or he would not imply it,” Swiatek stated. “Nothing private. It occurs.”
A strong Iga punched her ticket to the #RolandGarros semifinals due to a 6-4, 6-2 win towards Coco Gauff.
Watch the highlights 👇 pic.twitter.com/ucFpeoWwr1
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2023
Tennis is a territorial sport and Gauff stated once you drift near web within the professional recreation, you run the chance of getting nailed.
“I apologized after, however I believe she is aware of that is a part of the sport,” Gauff stated. “Should you hit a foul ball and also you determine to run to the online, there’s at all times a danger that you simply get hit, and there is at all times the chance that the particular person may miss attempting to keep away from you. It labored the primary time. The second time it did not work.
“But when I used to be in her place, I would not be mad at me both as a result of she ran ahead. I believe once I stated sorry, she shook her head, and we had a mutual understanding that that was the one shot I actually had.”
Photograph credit score: Aurelien Meunier/Getty
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