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Iga Swiatek swept past Marie Bouzkova in their 2024 French Open third-round clash. After the match, which was being played on Swaitek's birthday, the Pole received a heartwarming gift from the crowd as they sang 'Happy Birthday' for her in unison.
In her previous outing, Swiatek was pushed to the limits by Naomi Osaka in a match where she was on the brink of losing. However, the Pole made a comeback for the ages to qualify for the third round.
Czech player Bouzkova was up against the Pole in the third round. Swiatek shrugged off the fatigue from her three-hour outing against Osaka to pick up a comfortable straight-set win against the Czech. The World No. 1 won the match 6-4, 6-2 extending her overall French Open record to 31-2.
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Apart from the qualification to the fourth round, the day was special for the Pole as she turned 23 on Friday (May 31). During her post-match interview, the Philippe Chatrier crowd, which she was not in agreement with two nights ago, sang her a 'Happy Birthday' in unison.
Watch how Swiatek blushes as soon as the crowd starts singing:
The Pole was thankful to the crowd for making her day special.
Iga Swiatek happy with her performance against Marie Bouzkova at French Open 2024 3R
Iga Swiatek closed out her third-round match at the 2024 French Open against Marie Bouzkova in two sets. She was feeling well physically and happy with her performance on the day.
“I don’t know. Really good. Marie is a difficult player, she’s really good at defence, every ball will come back. I wanted to stay solid and not rush it, and I’m happy that I did that," Swiatek said during her post-match interview (via The Guardian).
“I feel good physically. I had a day off yesterday. I don’t feel like this match [against Osaka] stayed with me but maybe we’ll see towards the end of the tournament … I was happy I could close it in two sets. For sure it’s a good thing,” she added.
After her loss in the semifinal against Elena Rybakina at the Stuttgart Open, Swiatek has not faltered. She is on a 15-match unbeaten streak with the Madrid Open and Italian Open titles under her belt.
Iga Swiatek is on a quest to become only the second woman after Serena Williams to win the triple titles in Madrid, Italy, and France in the same season. She next faces Anastasia Potapova in the fourth round of the French Open.
