Sabalenka eliminates Swiatek and advances to the final in Paris

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, June 6, 2025, p. a12

Paris. World number one in women's tennis, Aryna Sabalenka, ended Poland's Iga Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at the French Open yesterday and reached her first Roland Garros final, where she will face American Coco Gauff, the world number two.

"It feels amazing, but I also understand that the job is not done yet ," said the 27-year-old Belarusian, who took the top spot in the WTA rankings from Swiatek last October. "She's the toughest opponent, especially on the clay at Roland Garros. I'm proud to have achieved this victory ."

Sabalenka's 7-6, 4-6, 6-0 victory over Swiatek prevented the Pole from becoming the first woman to win four consecutive championships at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament since professionals were admitted in 1968.

With the roof of the Philippe Chatrier court closed on a rainy day, there was no wind or other elements against the rallies, and both produced magnificent tennis at times. But in the end, the difference was that when Sabalenka decided to hit hard, she forced Swiatek into making mistakes. "I lost a little bit of my intensity ," the Pole admitted. " I just couldn't counterattack ," she added.

Swiatek's racquet included 12 unforced errors in the third set compared to none for Sabalenka. A difficult run continues for the 24-year-old Pole, who hasn't reached a final since capturing her third consecutive trophy—and fifth Grand Slam title—12 months ago in Paris. She recently fell to number five in the rankings .

Her poor run included elimination in the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics. She was then suspended for a month after testing positive for a banned substance.

On the other hand, Sabalenka is undoubtedly the best there is in women's tennis right now. Even before reaching this final, her six title match appearances this year are the most for a woman before the French Open since Serena Williams in 2013.

On Saturday, she will face Coco Gauff in the final. Gauff reached her second Roland Garros final by defeating local player Loïs Boisson 6-1, 6-2, ending the Frenchwoman's strong performance.

▲ In the first game of the NBA Finals, Indiana silenced the Oklahoma City crowd in their home stadium. AP Photo

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La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, June 6, 2025, p. a31

Oklahoma. With a last-gasp score from Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110 last night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, a historic comeback victory.

The Pacers trailed by 15 points with 9:42 remaining, matching the largest fourth-quarter comeback in a Finals game since Dallas overcame a 15-point deficit to beat Miami on June 2, 2011.

Thus, Indiana found a way to pull off the victory. Dressed in white, the home fans couldn't counter the momentum of the playoff kings of last-minute comebacks . After 25 years without a decisive game, they stamped their name in the final 0.3 seconds and managed to rally to take the lead in the series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the game's leading player, scoring 38 points for the Thunder, while Pascal Siakam powered the visitors with 19. While both teams' performances were crucial in sparking a thrilling game, Haliburton emerged as the star of the show, saving the Indiana franchise with a daring shot that clinched the game.

So, once again, Indiana found a way to come out on top in the waning game, just as they did a few weeks ago against Milwaukee, Cleveland, and New York. The next game in the series is tomorrow.