(Paris) Will the unexpected Jasmine Paolini, who will play her very first Grand Slam final on Saturday at the age of 28, have the weapons to avoid a knockout, or even deprive her of a fourth title at Roland-Garros? World No.1 Iga Swiatek?

The 22-year-old Pole crossed the board as expected, without a bump. The only grain of dirt in her shoe, she shook it off in the second round when she had to save a match point against former world No.1 Naomi Osaka, before winning in three sets.

Afterwards, she played four matches and only lost fourteen games in total. None in the round of 16 against the Russian Anastasia Potapova who was sent to the locker room in 40 minutes without having pocketed a single game and having only won ten points in total…

Even world No.3 Coco Gauff, winner of the last US Open, was unable to put Swiatek in doubt for a second in the semi-finals (6-2, 6-4).

The 20-year-old American was tender when she lost to the Pole in the final on this same Philippe-Chatrier court two years ago. This year, by the Pole’s own admission, Gauff was tougher.

And yet… when Gauff played at her best, she actually hung on to her opponent. She even took his serve once, to break away 3-1 in the second set, and saved three match points.

But the slightest drop in speed was punished mercilessly.

Gauff takes a few minutes to get into the match? Swiatek takes his entry serve and takes the lead.

Gauff makes a few too many mistakes? Swiatek hits a double break.

And this, until the end. Without fail.

“The first rounds in Grand Slams are always complicated. Then, I gained confidence,” simply explained Thursday the undisputed world No.1 and perfectly incontestable this season on her favorite surface, clay.

She is in fact on the path to a rare hat-trick, last achieved in 2013 by Serena Williams: winning titles in Madrid, Rome and Roland-Garros.

With two defeats in 36 matches since his first appearance in the main draw in 2019, Swiatek is pretty much unplayable on Parisian clay, much like his idol Rafael Nadal.

From there to getting used to winning? See it as a routine?

“It is difficult to ignore the stakes, the atmosphere of these matches. So I can’t say I’m used to it. It’s not routine,” she tempers, explaining nevertheless that she focused on her work and her play in order to make the moment more routine and therefore “more easily manageable”.

As for the comparison with Nadal, “we will see in 14 years if the course is comparable,” she says, referring to the 14 titles won by the Spaniard at Roland Garros.

Currently, the most likely to cause problems on earth is the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (world No.2). But, weakened by stomach problems, she gave in during the quarters.

And it will therefore be Paolini (15th) who will be on the other side of the net on Saturday to try to deprive Swiatek of a third consecutive title at Roland Garros, the fourth in total after 2020, 2022 and 2023, the fifth in Grand Slam (with the 2022 US Open).

Because the Italian, surprise winner in the quarters of world No.4 Elena Rybakina, clearly dominated in the semis the Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva (38th in the world at 17 years old) 6-3, 6-1.

At 28, Paolini had never made it past the round of 16 at a Grand Slam (reached in Australia this year). At Roland Garros, she had never made it past the second round.

“I’m so happy,” she said in her hoarse voice.

“Dreaming is the most important thing in sport and in life. “I perhaps took longer than other players to understand it,” she added, referring to her later arrival than others in the final of a Major.

She can dream of doubles since she is also qualified for the doubles final on Sunday with her compatriot Sara Errani.