French Open 2025 semi-finals: Sabalenka v Swiatek, Boisson v Gauff - live

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3m ago 15.03 CEST And now Sabalenka; she, as you might imagine, looks far more chill. Share

4m ago 15.03 CEST Swiatek is ready; Swiatek is always ready, and here she comes. Share

10m ago 14.57 CEST The roof of Chatrier is closed. I’d have backed Swiatek to cope better with wind and cold, but a still atmosphere makes it easier for Sabalenka to unleash and control her power. So, given that’s harder to achieve from out wide and on the move, the onus is on the champ to prevent her planting her feet. Share

18m ago 14.49 CEST In her pre-match press conference, Sabalenka said that she and Swiatek performed a TikTok together at the WTA finals – at her behest – and since then, have been on the road to becoming friends. They’re not there yet, but they do sometimes practise together now and though I doubt they ever lose the frisson entirely it’s also nice that they’re getting on. On which point, we were talking about Chrissy a moment ago, and her friendship with Martina is so profound and genuine as to be moving. If yiou’ve not seen the 30 for 30 on the subject, please do so urgently. Share

21m ago 14.45 CEST Until that point, though, I’m going for a Swiatek v Boisson final. The former will, I think, have too much variety and dexterity for Sabalenka; she expects to win, she’s playing well enough, and he understanding of angles should keep the world no 1 on the move. Boisson, meanwhile, has the advantage of surprise and momentum. Moreover, Gauff isn’t playing all that well, and I don’t trust her forehand under the pressure it’s likely to face this afternoon. Share

25m ago 14.41 CEST Ahhhh, Chris Evert is in the TNT studio, and the great news is she’ll be co-commentating for us. As it goes, tennis is miles behind most other sports in explaining the technical subtleties and so on, but Chrissie is wonderful and I can’t wait for her to tell me what to think. Share

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