Iga Swiatek says she hopes to form a "special rivalry" with Coco Gauff as the pair prepare to meet in the French Open final.

World number one Swiatek extended her sensational winning run to 34 with a straight-sets semi-final victory over Daria Kasatkina on Thursday at Roland Garros.

The Pole is the first player to reach six or more finals on the WTA Tour in the first six months of the year since Serena Williams in 2013 (seven), but next faces the in-form Gauff.

Teenage star Gauff breezed past Martina Trevisan in the last four, winning in straight sets, as she became just the sixth American player in the Open era to reach the showpiece in Paris without dropping a set.

That made the 18-year-old the third-youngest grand slam finalist this century, the youngest American female French Open finalist since Monica Seles in 1991 and the youngest overall since Kim Clijsters in 2001.

The pair have long been familiar with each other, though, having featured on the junior circuit. Swiatek won the girl's event at Wimbledon just four years ago, shortly after Gauff's junior Roland Garros success.

And Swiatek cannot wait to develop a rivalry in senior tennis with the world number 23.

"I like watching Coco Gauff – my opponent in the Roland Garros final on Saturday – and maybe this will become a special rivalry for years to come," she wrote on BBC Sport.

"I feel like she's been on tour longer than me and she's only 18. Coco has great potential and I hope she will keep improving. I think this tournament has shown she is on the right path.

"I remember Coco winning the French Open juniors in 2018 when I really wanted to win. I didn't play against her, though, because I lost to Caty McNally in the semi-finals.

"But when Coco won – she was only 14 – I was like 'great, I worked so hard and a girl three years younger than me is winning junior Grand Slams'!

"It was tough for teenage me to take but I've progressed well since.

"When I got to meet her more on the WTA Tour, I could see she was staying on a really good level and she deserves her success.

"We don't talk to each other loads when we're at tournaments, just because we're both kind of shy! It is pretty hard for introverted people to bond but I really like her.

"I feel she is really humble and focused on the job. It seems like she is having fun and has good people around her."

Victory for Gauff would make her the seventh player to win the girls' and women's singles titles in Paris, but Swiatek knows it is not just the American she will have to contend with in the future.

US Open winner Emma Raducanu was another challenger cited by Swiatek, who also expects 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez to prove stern competition in the coming years.

"Rivalries are one of the most fun things about sport and there have been some great ones in the history of tennis," Swiatek continued.

"On Tuesday night we all saw Rafael Nadal play Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros and that is one of the greatest ever rivalries.

"It is amazing how many matches Rafa and Novak have played against each other and how many they have played in the deep stages of the tournaments.

"Many of their meetings have been in semi-finals or finals, it shows that the competition between them drives them to higher levels.

"It would be nice to have a rivalry, one that would push me to excel, to be more intense and that will challenge me to play my best tennis. I could imagine that.

"I wouldn't want to have a record like Maria Sharapova did against Serena Williams, she won two of their 20 matches. Of course it sometimes happens and numbers aren't always the most important.

"The goal is to enjoy tennis matches but, of course, also to win.

"I've never thought about who exactly I would like to develop a special rivalry with. It is hard to predict who will stay at the top of the WTA Tour and be consistent.

"As well as Coco and maybe Emma Raducanu, I think Leylah Fernandez has the ability to potentially challenge for the Grand Slam trophies.

"Leylah has already made two great runs – the quarter-finals here this year and the 2021 US Open final – and if she continues to play that well at more tournaments I think she will be near the top of the rankings."

Coco Gauff sees Iga Swiatek as the favourite in the French Open final but promised to play with freedom as the outcome at Roland Garros will not change her life either way.

The teenager breezed past Martina Trevisan in straight sets in Paris on Thursday, with the 18-year-old reaching the showpiece on Saturday without dropping a set.

In the Open era, she is just the sixth American to reach the final two at Roland Garros without losing a set, while she also became the third-youngest grand slam finalist this century.

The achievements continued to come in for Gauff, who is the youngest American female finalist in Paris since Monica Seles in 1991 and the youngest overall since Kim Clijsters in 2001.

However, the in-form Swiatek stands in her way of a first major title, with the world number one heading into the contest on a remarkable 34-match winning run.

The Pole is the first player to reach six or more finals on the WTA Tour in the first six months of the year since Serena Williams in 2013 (seven), and Gauff feels she has nothing to lose against Swiatek.

"It definitely means a lot. I'm so happy, and definitely – I wasn't expecting it," she said after defeating Trevisan. 

"I'm going to be honest. This year I hadn't had the best results going into this. So it wasn't expected at all, really.

"Playing Iga, she's on a streak right now obviously, and I think going in I have nothing to lose and she's definitely the favourite going into the match on paper.

"But I think that going in, I'm just going to play free and play my best tennis. I think in a grand slam final anything can happen. If I do lift the trophy, honestly, I don't think my life is going to change really.

"I know it sounds kind of bad to say that, but the people who love me are still going to love me regardless if I lift the trophy or not.

"It will probably get me more attention from the people around the world. But in general, I'm not worried about how my life is going to change because I really don't think it's going to change."

Victory for Gauff would make her the seventh player to win the girls' and women's singles titles in Paris, after lifting the junior title just four years ago.

Swiatek subsequently won the Wimbledon junior title the same season, and Gauff is delighted the pair's paths will cross again at senior level.

"I knew her from juniors, but we never spoke really until we both got on tour," she added. "I remember here specifically I was actually preparing to play her in the final, and then she had a match point against my – well, not my doubles partner this tournament, but normally Caty McNally, and Caty saved a match point against her and I ended up playing Caty in the final.

"I just remember that from the juniors. Obviously going on the tour, we spoke and she's super nice. I think that's something I really admire about her.

"I have known Iga – I don't know her well-well, but I have known her since she was probably ranked lower, and now that she's [world] number one, and I will say that nothing has really changed other than her tennis.

"But behind the scenes, she's as nice as I think you guys see in the press conferences. I think that's really important and rare to see, so I definitely congratulate her on that aspect."

Junior memories aside, Gauff believes she is more than ready to win a grand slam but insists she will not put pressure on herself.

"I think that version was ready to win a slam, but I think she almost wanted it too much, that she put way too much pressure on herself," she said of her comments previously about winning a major.

"Now I'm definitely ready to win one but I'm not putting pressure on myself to win one. I think there's a fine line between believing in yourself and almost pushing yourself too much.

"I think at that moment I was pushing myself too much to do the results, whereas when I was in the quarter-final, I didn't even enjoy the moment. I didn't even care really.

"Now, being in the final, I'm enjoying it. I think there is definitely a difference between [being] ready and almost wanting it too much. I think at that moment I wanted it too much, whereas now I definitely want it.

"But also, it's not going to be the end of the world if it doesn't happen for me."

French Open director Amelie Mauresmo has apologised for suggesting women's tennis lacks the "appeal" of the men's game after drawing the ire of world number one Iga Swiatek.

Mauresmo – herself a former two-time grand slam winner who made the French Open quarter-finals on two occasions – made the comments while discussing the lack of women's matches played during the night sessions at Roland Garros.

This is the first edition of the French Open to feature night sessions – but women's matches under the floodlights have been few and far between to date.

On Wednesday, Mauresmo suggested this was down to the men's game being more popular with spectators, saying: "In this era that we are in right now, I don't feel – and as a woman and former player, I don't feel bad or unfair saying that right now you have more attraction. Can you say that? Appeal? For the men's matches."

Those comments were labelled "disappointing and surprising" by top seed Swiatek, who will play teenager Coco Gauff in Saturday's final.

But Mauresmo has now apologised for the comment, telling the Tennis Channel: "I want to say sorry to the players that really felt bad about what I said.

"The comments that I made were taken out of the wider picture, out of the context. Because we have one match only, I feel that it's really tougher to schedule a women's match because we have to take into consideration the length [of the match]. I feel it's the fair kind of thing to do for the ticket holders.

"I think the people who know me, who've known me on and off the court, throughout my career, throughout everything that I've done, know that I'm a big fighter for equal rights and women's tennis, women in general."

The scheduling of night matches in the French capital has attracted other criticisms since the tournament began, with 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal claiming "it is too late, without a doubt" after his five-set quarter-final win over Novak Djokovic ended at 1:15am local time on Wednesday.

While the sessions will stay on the agenda at future editions, Mauresmo insists concerns over late finishing times, as well as the balance between men's and women's matches being showcased at favourable broadcast times, must be reviewed after the tournament.

"I feel that next year, in order to be able to be more fair to the women players, as well as to both categories actually, it would be good to maybe have the possibility to put two matches or maybe a women's match plus a doubles match," Mauresmo added.

"[We will] try to find a better solution to be fair to everyone. We tried to modernise the event. We tried to move forward, and I can see that there are some adjustments to be made, that's for sure. We're going to talk about it after the tournament."

Coco Gauff cited LeBron James, Serena Williams, Colin Kaepernick and Naomi Osaka as her inspirations after the tennis star wrote "Peace, end gun violence" on a camera at the French Open.

The 18-year-old overcame Martina Trevisan in the semi-final at Roland Garros with ease, recording a 6-3 6-1 victory to book her maiden single's grand slam final appearance.

That made the world number 23 the youngest American female finalist in Paris since Monica Seles in 1991 and the youngest overall since Kim Clijsters in 2001.

Gauff has not dropped a set en route to the final, where she faces the in-form Iga Swiatek on Saturday, but much of her post-match focus was on the ongoings back in the United States.

The USA is still reeling from a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas just over a week ago in which 19 children and two teachers were killed.

In the wake of the tragedy, multiple high-profile sportspeople, including Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, have called for changes to gun laws in the USA, and Gauff joined that list on Thursday.

"It's important, just as a person in the world, regardless of tennis player or not," the teenage tennis star said. "I think for me it was just especially important just being in Europe and being where I know people globally around the world are for sure watching.

"I think that this is a problem in other parts of the world, but especially in America it's a problem that's, frankly, been happening over some years but obviously now it's getting more attention.

"But it's been an issue for years. For me, it's kind of close to home. I had some friends that were a part of the Parkland shooting [in 2018].

"I remember watching that whole experience like pretty much firsthand, seeing and having friends go through that whole experience. Luckily they were able to make it out of it. I just think it's crazy, I think I was maybe 14 or 13 when that happened, and still nothing has changed.

"I think that was just a message for the people back at home to watch and for people who are all around the world to watch. I know that it's probably not [going to] – hopefully it gets into the heads of people in office to change things."

Gauff suggested her post-match scribble on the television camera was not pre-meditated and instead came after seeing reports of four people being shot by a gunman in an Oklahoma hospital on Wednesday.

"I really didn't know what I was going to write even moments walking to the camera, and it just felt right in that moment and to write that," she added. "I woke up this morning and I saw there was another shooting, and I think it's just crazy.

"I know that it's getting more attention now. I definitely think there needs to be some reform put into place. I think now especially being 18 I've really been trying to educate myself around certain situations, because now I have the right to vote and I want to use that wisely."

Gauff joins a long list of athletes that are proactively using their platform and audiences to speak on matters they feel passionately about.

As for her inspirations, Gauff listed the likes of NBA star James, fellow tennis players Williams and Osaka, and NFL's Kaepernick, who popularised taking the knee to stand against police brutality and racism.

"I would say LeBron James, Serena, Billie Jean, Colin, the list goes on, Naomi, it goes on really about those issues," Gauff continued. "I think now athletes are more fine with speaking out about stuff like this.

"I feel like a lot of times we're put in a box that people always say, 'Oh, sports and politics should stay separate' and all this. And I say yes, but also at the same time I'm a human first before I'm a tennis player.

"If I'm interested in this, I wouldn't even consider gun violence politics; I think that's just life in general. I don't think that's political at all.

"So of course I'm going to care about these issues and speak out about these issues. When people make those comments, I'm not going to be an athlete forever.

"There is going to be a time when I retire and all this, and I'm still going to be a human. So of course I care about these topics. Sport gives you the platform to maybe make that message reach more people."

Martina Trevisan vowed to continue fighting and enjoying every match ahead of her imminent rise up the world rankings after a strong French Open campaign.

Trevisan ultimately ran out of steam at Roland Garros, where she fell to a 6-3 6-1 defeat in the semi-finals against Coco Gauff on Thursday.

That ended a 10-match winning run for the Italian, while Gauff became the youngest player to reach the final in Paris since Kim Clijsters in 2001.

Trevisan defeated world number 18 Leylah Fernandez en route to the semi-final, having also beaten Garbine Muguruza during her title quest in Rabat last week.

The 28-year-old is on course to climb into the top 30 in the world after her success in recent weeks, leaping up from her 59th position currently.

But Trevisan assures that will not change her plans on how she approaches matches in future.

"These two weeks, as I said, I have grown a lot," she told reporters. "Of course my ranking will change. But I don't think that I need to change something.

"I have to keep focus in my game, to keep fighting in every match. Enjoy the moment, because at this moment I would like to enjoy this result, that is very important for me.

"Still enjoy on the court and nothing else."

Iga Swiatek awaits Gauff in Saturday's final and, despite Trevisan losing to the Pole at the 2020 French Open, the Italian was unable to draw comparisons between the pair.

"I played with Iga two years ago, so I think it's different," she added. "It's not easy to compare them right now, because, I mean, they are young, they are very impressive.

"You can always feel the pressure on the court. Maybe they are similar on the forehand, that it's very heavy. It's difficult to play against them, of course."

Teenage sensation Coco Gauff achieved numerous feats by reaching her maiden grand slam single's final at the French Open on Thursday.

Gauff has still not dropped a set at Roland Garros this year after cruising to a 6-3 6-1 semi-final victory over Martina Trevisan, ending the Italian's 10-match winning streak.

The 18-year-old became the youngest American female finalist in Paris since Monica Seles in 1991 and the youngest overall since Kim Clijsters in 2001.

The world number 23 is also the third-youngest grand slam finalist this century, with only Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004 and Clijsters at Roland Garros in 2001 doing so at a younger age.

Gauff has lifted the French Open trophy before, though, after succeeding in the junior competition four years ago.

But the in-form Iga Swiatek will be standing in her way on Saturday.

Swiatek is the first player to reach six or more finals on the WTA Tour in the first six months of the year since Serena Williams in 2013 (seven), with the Pole on a remarkable 34-match winning run.

However, the patience and precision of Gauff could test Swiatek after she became just the sixth American player in the Open era to reach the showpiece at Roland Garros without dropping a single set.

Victory for Gauff would make her the seventh player to win the girls' and women's singles titles in Paris.

Coco Gauff secured a maiden grand slam final appearance with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Martina Trevisan at the French Open on Thursday.

Gauff had not dropped a set in Paris en route to the last four, but Trevisan had only surrendered one to Leylah Fernandez in her last match, teeing up a mouthwatering clash on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Neither player could maintain control in the first set, with the pair exchanging four consecutive breaks, but Gauff seized things from that point onwards.

The world number 23 profited from creating some smart angles to avert the danger of the heavy hitting Trevisan, who had powered 113 winners through the first five rounds at the tournament.

The 18-year-old Gauff eventually claimed the first set after Trevisan sent the ball long, with the American in clinical form as she converted four of six break points.

Gauff was not as ruthless in the second set but still gained the early advantage, breaking the Italian at the fourth time of asking to go 3-1 up after a mammoth 19-point game that lasted 14 minutes.

Trevisan, struggling with a right thigh issue sustained earlier in the match, was buoyed on by the vociferous crowd but ultimately failed to fight back as Gauff eased to victory in just an hour and 26 minutes.

The in-form number one seed Iga Swiatek, who has remarkably won her last 34 matches after defeating Daria Kasatkina in the semi-final earlier on Thursday, awaits Gauff in the final on Saturday.

Data slam: Trevisan streak ends

Trevisan became the first Italian player to win 10 matches in a row since Flavia Pennetta in 2009, but Gauff proved a step too far. The American was a junior champion at Roland Garros just four years ago, and will now look to add the women's title to her name.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Trevisan – 13/36
Gauff – 14/20

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Trevisan – 0/4
Gauff – 1/2

BREAK POINTS WON

Trevisan – 2/5
Gauff – 6/11

Iga Swiatek ticked off a whole host of accomplishments as her 34-match winning streak carried her into the French Open final on Thursday.

The world number one was in sensational form heading to Roland Garros after winning five consecutive tournaments.

And there has appeared little prospect of Swiatek slowing in Paris, with her 6-2 6-1 defeat of Daria Kasatkina securing a sixth WTA Tour final appearance in a row.

Swiatek is the first player to make six finals in the first six months of the year since Serena Williams reached seven before the halfway mark in 2013.

She has also now matched Williams' best winning run this century, with only Novak Djokovic in 2011 (43), Roger Federer in 2006 (42) and Venus Williams in 2000 (35) enjoying longer sequences across both the ATP and WTA Tours since 2000.

Swiatek's feats are all the more impressive given her age, as she turned 21 just this week.

Now with 20 wins at Roland Garros, the 2020 champion is the youngest female player to that mark since Martina Hingis in 1999.

Only eight women – Evonne Goolagong, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Hingis, Kim Clijsters and Ana Ivanovic – have reached their second French Open final at a younger age.

Iga Swiatek produced heavy metal tennis to destroy Daria Kasatkina's French Open hopes in a brutal semi-final performance, then revealed she was inspired by listening to Led Zeppelin.

Swiatek, who is reading the Alexander Dumas novel The Three Musketeers while in Paris, is hoovering up classic culture at a young age.

The 21-year-old has made no secret of her love for hard rock and rates AC/DC among her favourite bands.

Rather than search for focus by listening to chillout music or meditation tapes, Swiatek plays by her own rules and served up a 6-2 6-1 thumping of Kasatkina after indulging in a little Page and Plant.

"I try to treat every match the same way, because if I realise this is one of the biggest matches of the season it can stress me out. So I'm trying to focus on the tasks and I listen to music when I work out," Swiatek said in an on-court interview.

Asked which artist she was listening to, Swiatek said: "Led Zeppelin. It's really helping me out so I can start with being proactive. I use everything to help me."

Swiatek won the 2020 French Open final as an outsider ranked 54th in the world, but she is a hot favourite to be champion this year after climbing to number one.

Friday's win was a 34th in succession for the Polish player, who has won five tournaments in that run.

She said: "It's a pretty special moment, and I'm really emotional. I'm so grateful to be in that place and be healthy and be able to play my game. It's amazing and I love playing here."

She is feeling plenty of love from the Roland Garros crowds, particularly a strong contingent from Poland.

"It's easier to play matches with that kind of support, and I've had that in every place I've played this year and it's still surprising for me," she said.

"When I started playing the WTA, basically right after my first year it was COVID and I wasn't able to see how many Polish people would come, and it's still overwhelming and it surprises me how much they're supporting."

As well as being open about her musical heroes, Swiatek is unabashed in making clear her affection for Rafael Nadal, the 13-time French Open winner who is through to another semi-final this fortnight after beating Novak Djokovic on Tuesday.

"He's inspiring me in every aspect, on court and off court, because he's so humble and down to earth," Swiatek said.

"He's the kind of guy who's always saying hi, and it's amazing because it seems the success didn't change him and he's still the same, a great person.

"When I watched this year's Australian Open final [against Daniil Medvedev] it was just amazing. Even I had doubts and I could see how he was trying to find solutions and trying to get better during the match, and he did and he won, so he's a huge inspiration. Not only here but on every court, it's just great to watch him play."

Iga Swiatek continued her outstanding form as she cruised into the French Open semi-finals with a 6-3 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula, joining an elite list of young players to have reached the final four in the year's first two grand slams.

In racking up her 33rd consecutive win, the world number one ensured she followed up her semi-final appearance at this year's Australian Open with another deep run at Roland Garros.

On the day after her 21st birthday, 2020 French Open champion Swiatek joined a select group of players in managing that feat, with only six women making back-to-back semi-finals at the tournaments at a younger age than the Pole since the turn of the century.

They are Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Ana Ivanovic, Eugenie Bouchard and Maria Sharapova.

Having become just the fourth woman this century to win five consecutive tournaments on the WTA Tour coming into Roland Garros, Swiatek will go into her semi-final clash against Daria Kasatkina confident of taking another step towards a second grand slam title.

Iga Swiatek says it was "disappointing and surprising" to hear Amelie Mauresmo state that watching women play at the French Open is less appealing than seeing their male counterparts.

Mauresmo, the tournament director at Roland Garros, was asked on Wednesday why only one match out of 10 during the night sessions in Paris had been contested by women.

The former world number one replied: "In this era that we are in right now, I don't feel - and as a woman and former player, I don't feel bad or unfair saying that right now you have more attraction. Can you say that? Appeal? That's the general, for the men's matches."

Mauresmo added: "This is what we wanted to showcase to spectators who had only one-match tickets, because some of them do. It was more difficult to have, of course, a match, a night-session match with only female tennis players."

Alize Cornet's victory over Jelena Ostapenko in the second round was the only evening match involving women to take place in the first year where night sessions have been on the schedule at the French Open.

While Swiatek says she is not bothered what time of day she plays, the world number one was not impressed with Mauresmo's comments.

It's 33 straight wins for No.1 @iga_swiatek -- catch all the best moments from her 6-3, 6-2 win today with Highlights by @emirates#RolandGarros | #EmiratesFlyBetterMoments pic.twitter.com/NuIw0xcOfe

After reaching the semi-finals at the expense of Jessica Pegula, the top seed said: "It is a little bit disappointing, and surprising because she was also in the WTA.

"From my point of view, for every player it's more convenient to play at a normal hour, but for sure I want to entertain and I also want to show my best tennis in every match.

"So, for me, I'm always focused the same way when I'm going out. It doesn't matter if it's day session or night sessions. But, yeah, it is a little bit disappointing.

"But it's always their decision and we kind of have to accept that. But I want my tennis to be entertainment as well, I always said that, and in my toughest moments I always remember that I also play for people.

"I think it's kind of [the] personal opinion of every person if they like men's tennis or women's tennis more, or if they like them equally, but I think women's tennis has a lot of advantages.

"And some may say that it's unpredictable and girls are not consistent. But, on the other hand, it may also be something that is really appealing, and it may really attract more people. So it depends on personal views of some people."

Daria Kasatkina aims to climb another "mountain" when she faces Iga Swiatek in her first grand slam semi-final at the French Open.

Kasatkina won an all-Russian showdown with Veronika Kudermetova on Court Philippe-Chatrier 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to break new ground at a major on Wednesday.

The 20th seed had lost her previous two grand slam quarter-finals in 2018, but she was not denied on this occasion in Paris.

Kasatkina will do battle with Swiatek for a place in the Roland Garros final on Thursday after the world number one beat Jessica Pegula in straight sets.

Top seed Swiatek has beaten Kasatkina twice in hard-court events this year and the Pole is on an astonishing 33-match winning run.

Yet Kasatkina has not dropped a set at the French Open and the 25-year-old is relishing the challenge of playing the biggest match of her career.

She said: "We played a few times this year. Okay, I lost those matches, but it was a different story. It was a hard court, beginning of the year, I was not in the same shape as I am now.

"I cannot compare what we are going to have tomorrow and what we had in February, March when we were playing. It's going to be completely different match. I want to win a lot, she wants to win as well, and it's going to be a good match.

"You never know what's going to happen in the semi-final of a grand slam, so it's going to be fun and that's it."

Kasatkina will savour her best performance at a major, but is hungry for more.

"I have no time to relax, I'm playing already tomorrow. So a little bit of time to enjoy it, because still it's special for me, a first semi-final," she added.

"But I know that tomorrow is another mountain in front of me which I have to climb and that's it. Maybe it's even better that I don't have much time to think about how good it is to be in the semi-finals, so I have another battle."

As she prepares to face the all-conquering tournament favourite, Kasatkina does not believe she has ever been in better shape.

She said: "Mentally and physically I feel the best I ever was, which is good, because it means that I'm improving. But I don't feel safe, because when you're in the comfort zone it means there's something wrong.

"I think it's better to feel something behind you, so you don't relax much. I think I'm always ready, you have to be always be ready.

"It doesn't have to be like, 'Oh, I'm so bad, and what do I have to do now?' But if you are ready and you know how to get out of this, this is also what I learn."

Iga Swiatek is enjoying a birthday week to remember – or perhaps one to forget.

The world number one turned 21 on Tuesday, between the 32nd and 33rd matches of a remarkable winning streak.

Having won five consecutive tournaments heading into the French Open, there was plenty for Swiatek to celebrate even before her big day.

So perhaps she can be forgiven for losing track of her age in the moments after her latest win against Jessica Pegula on Wednesday.

Having carried out her on-court media duties, Swiatek wrote a message on one of the Roland Garros cameras with the hashtag "#22".

"No, wait," the 21-year-old said just as she prepared to step away, covering her face with embarrassment. "I forgot how old I am!"

A failed attempt to wipe off the incorrect number resulted in Swiatek instead crossing out her message and scribbling "#21" next to it – far more untidy than any display she has turned in at Roland Garros.

Iga Swiatek showed no signs of slowing as she reached the French Open semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Jessica Pegula, her 33rd in succession.

The 2020 Roland Garros champion entered this year's event in imperious form, having become the fourth woman this century to win five consecutive tournaments on the WTA Tour.

And the day after her 21st birthday, Swiatek took another stride towards extending that streak to six, swatting aside Pegula 6-3 6-2 in the last eight.

Only Daria Kasatkina – against whom she has won three in a row, including the second match in this remarkable run of victories – now lies between the world number one and yet another final.

The early signs were predictably ominous for Pegula as Swiatek broke immediately, although a sloppy first service game followed and saw the Pole collapse from 40-up to level the scores when she thrashed a forehand into the net cord.

Pegula then stuck with Swiatek for a period, but her opponent's class soon came to the fore again as she sensationally scrambled to beat the second bounce from a drop shot and squeeze a return over the net to restore her lead at 4-3.

That was the first of five successive Swiatek games as she wrapped up the set at the second attempt on Pegula's serve – the American committing five unforced errors in that game alone.

That sequence was interrupted by a gutsy Pegula hold, only for Swiatek to defend her own serve in the next game to remain in the ascendancy before breaking for the first time in the second with a brilliant backhand down the line.

Pegula kept battling, but she was only temporarily able to hold up Swiatek at the finish line, a seven-minute game ended by a stunning winner to break again and reach the semis.

Data Slam: Pegula no match for number one

Pegula's only previous meeting with a current number one saw her thrashed in straight sets by Ash Barty at the Australian Open. Swiatek has succeeded Barty at the top of the rankings following her retirement and has since surpassed the Aussie's dominance, now winning 16 in a row as number one.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Swiatek – 30/28
Pegula – 16/27

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Swiatek – 4/0
Pegula – 2/1

BREAK POINTS WON
Swiatek – 5/11
Pegula – 1/2

Daria Kasatkina is through to her first grand slam semi-final after winning an all-Russian battle with Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets at the French Open.

Kasatkina lost her previous two major quarter-finals in 2018, but she broke new ground with a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) victory at Roland Garros on Wednesday.

The 20th seed will face Iga Swiatek or Jessica Pegula for a place in the final after ending Kudermetova's best run at a grand slam.

Kudermetova paid the price for 50 unforced errors in her maiden major quarter-final on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where Kasatkina overcame the nerves to move into the last four.

It was Kudermetova who drew first blood when she broke to lead 3-1, but she failed to consolidate as a tenacious Kasatkina responded immediately.

The two 25-year-olds both fended off a couple of break points in their next service games, but Kasatkina edged in front for the first time courtesy of a sublime cross-court winner to take a 5-4 lead after a terrible miss from Kudermetova with the court wide open.

A steely Kasatkina was moving superbly and served out the set, before moving into a 3-1 lead in the second set after three consecutive games went against the serve.

The 29th seed was struggling to find her rhythm, but she was level at 4-4 when her compatriot overcooked a forehand.

Kasatkina had looked edgy in that service game, yet she had an opportunity to serve for the match when a Kudermetova backhand struck the net cord and landed on her side of the net.

A nervy Kasatkina was unable to serve it out but held to force a tie-break after Kudermetova called for treatment on her left foot.

Kasatkina took a 6-1 lead in the breaker following a string of errors from Kudermetova and finally finished it off with her fifth match point, executing a drop shot to perfection.

Data Slam: No setbacks for Kasatkina in Paris

Kasatkina has not only put together her longest run in a grand slam, she has done so without dropping a set. While it was certainly not all plain sailing in the quarter-final, she showed her strength of character to come through another test in straight sets.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kasatkina – 16/25
Kudermetova – 38/50

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kasatkina – 0/3
Kudermetova – 3/2

BREAK POINTS WON
Kasatkina – 5/17
Kudermetova – 4/7