Mumbai: Winning tennis matches, top players often say, is driven as much by the mind as it is by the body and skill. Marta Kostyuk gave us another great example of that.Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk reacts during her fourth round match against Poland's Iga Swiatek. (REUTERS)The last time she took on Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati a couple of years ago, Kostyuk, speaking ahead of their impending French Open contest, recalled having lost the match “way before it even started”.On Sunday, Kostyuk, 23, stepped into Philippe-Chatrier with a smile. As Swiatek stepped off the court after the first set for a lengthy break, Kostyuk passed time by dancing to the music played in the stadium for the spectators.“You know, I woke up in the morning and all I thought about was what an unbelievable day I have to live today and play on Chatrier and play against Iga,” she would say later.This time, she wasn’t losing before the first point was played. And, as it turned out, not after the last too.In a stunning result, the 15th-ranked Kostyuk sent world No.3 and four-time French Open champion Swiatek packing from the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-1 rout.Stunning because the Ukrainian had not even taken a set, or more than four games in a set, off the Pole across their previous three meetings. Also, because it handed Swiatek her earliest exit from Roland Garros since her first appearance in 2019, and Kostyuk her first quarter-final there after Swiatek stopped her in the fourth round in 2021.And because the French Open will now have new men’s and women’s singles champions.Kostyuk came into this Slam as the champion of Madrid and Rouen, unbeaten on clay in a run that has now stretched to 15. Swiatek would rake up such numbers on the dirt, but a clay swing that began with a coaching change and a few sparks of old in Rome and Paris was ended by a red-hot opponent on the Pole’s birthday.The Ukrainian wasn’t giving her any gifts. Coached by Sandra Zaniewska, she came out with an aggressive gameplan to go with her positive mindset.Swiatek had been shaky with her serve all through the week, and Kostyuk was willing to be bold with her return positions from the onset. For Swiatek’s first second serve in the second game, Kostyuk moved in, placing herself a couple of steps inside the baseline.It made Swiatek’s already-feeble second serves even more vulnerable. The six-time grand slam singles champion won 35% points behind the second strike and, feeling the need for greater depth to offset Kostyuk’s return position, dished out five double faults. Two of them while she was serving to stay in the first set at 5-6.It also meant that despite Swiatek getting the first break in both sets, Kostyuk never let her consolidate. In the first set, Swiatek edged ahead 4-3 before the two traded breaks, Kostyuk finally held and Swiatek caved in in the 12th game. In the second, Swiatek reset for a 1-0 headstart before Kostyuk struck back again and shut the door, calmly polishing off six straight games.The Ukrainian was solid and sizzling from the baseline in equal measure. Going toe-to-toe with the best in court movement on clay, Kostyuk also won 47 points – 21 more than Swiatek – in rallies of four shots or less.That was partly also down to the Pole’s off-colour forehand. Often her most trusted weapon, especially on the surface, it became a misfiring liability on the day. Of the 39 unforced errors that Swiatek made – an unusually high number for her – 21 were from the forehand wing.“I feel like, for sure, I lost today because Marta used the opportunity, and I was super tense,” said Swiatek.And Kostyuk, into her second Slam quarter-final, was super relaxed. “It’s helping. I want to keep enjoying,” she said on court. “I try not to focus at all on winning or losing because, you know, I’m not playing tennis to win.”She has won 15 on the bounce now, including one against an opponent she had never beaten.