Queen of Clay survives: Iga Swiatek fights back from the brink in Roland Garros thriller against Elena Rybakina

Iga Swiatek saved herself from disaster against Elena Rybakina after a tough start and secured a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory at Roland Garros. The Pole extended her French Open winning streak to 25 consecutive wins and averted a scare on Philippe Chatrier, keeping her title bid alive.

The three-time defending champion was close to a painful defeat, after being down 1-6, 0-2. Swiatek pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks of her career and sets up a quarterfinal clash with Elina Svitolina.

The match quickly tilted in Rybakina's favor from the start. The Kazakh easily held her first service game and then created a couple of opportunities to secure an early break, putting her ahead 2-0. However, few could have expected what would follow, with Swiatek being more erratic than usual and Rybakina as focused as ever.

The 25-year-old Kazakh saved a break point against her and then earned her second consecutive break. With a total of 10 consecutive points for Rybakina, Swiatek faced a 0-5, 0-30 score, with serious possibilities of suffering her first bagel at Roland Garros. Although the Pole saved a couple of set points and managed to win her first game on her serve, it wasn't enough for a bigger comeback. Rybakina closed the set on her serve after 5 set points with a convincing 6-1, totaling 12 winners against Swiatek's mere 6.

Rybakina played even more aggressively than usual – true to the style of Ostapenko, Swiatek's "bogeywoman." The world No. 11 showed she has enough variations to trouble any opponent, and an opening break gave her a 2-0 lead.

However, the four-time French Open champion would come out looking for a reaction. When it seemed like everything was against her, she managed to balance things out, reducing her errors and performing better in key moments.

Surprisingly, she converted 2 out of 3 break opportunities and saved three break points against her. In minutes of high pressure, she went from 0-2 down to a remarkable 5-2 lead. Rybakina defended one last service game, but it wasn't enough. Swiatek responded with a strong service game and closed the set 6-3, reigniting hope of maintaining her streak at Roland Garros.

The match was already shaping up to be one of the best in the women's draw so far this tournament. Both players showed determination in the third set, starting with comfortable service games. Rybakina held the lead on her serve until 3-2, at which point she put Swiatek in serious trouble, creating three break points. However, the five-time Grand Slam champion once again navigated a complicated moment, managing to hold and level at 3-3.

The final part of the set would be a rollercoaster, after Swiatek secured a break in the 7th game. However, Rybakina reacted to break back – leveling at 4-4 – keeping the uncertainty alive. Swiatek again had her chances, holding two break points that would have put her in an unmatchable position, but her opponent again maintained composure to hold and take the lead once more.

In a fiercely contested end to the match, with the score at 5-5, Swiatek secured the break that would definitively give her the lead. Finally, on her serve, despite difficulties, she closed out a remarkable victory on her second match point. This win will be a significant confidence boost as she aims to defend her triple crown at Roland Garros. She extended her streak to 25 consecutive wins at Roland Garros and will face Elina Svitolina in pursuit of the semifinals.