French Open 2024

Semi-final! Paolini with sensation against Rybakina

Jasmine Paolini

(Bild: AP/Associated Press)

The second women's quarter-final day at the French Open, which is endowed with 53.48 million euros, produced two big surprises! The 6:7(5)-6:4-6:4 victory of the 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andrejewa over the number 2 seeded Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday can be described as a sensation. Prior to that, the Italian Jasmine Paolini had eliminated the number 4 seed, Yelena Rybakina from Kazakhstan, 6:2, 4:6, 6:4.

This means that one of the two surprises will reach the final at Roland Garros. Either defending champion Iga Swiatek (POL-1) or Coco Gauff (USA-3) will be the favorite.

However, Sabalenka had already had problems with her health in the first set and was given medication at 3:1. Andreyeva took advantage of this to take a 5:3 lead, but Sabalenka fought her way into the tie-break, which she won with a break. At the start of the second set, Sabalenka seemed to be impaired again and received a warning for taking too long a break between two games.

"... that's how I managed to win!"
Andreyeva equalized the set and a high-class exchange of blows developed in the third round. The outsider managed the decisive break in the last game with her second match point. A coolly played lob. Andreyeva thus became the youngest semi-finalist at Roland Garros since Martina Hingis 27 years ago. The Australian Open winner Sabalenka had never lost a single set in a major match so far this year.

"I played match point as if I had to fend off a break point and that's how I managed to win," was Andreyeva's first comment while still on court.

"I was a bit too emotional in the second set!" 
 Paolini had previously made the "Italian Festival" in France perfect with her first Major semi-final appearance. After Jannik Sinner in the men's singles, the 28-year-old, only 1.65 meter tall northern Italian caused the next jubilation in her home country. Paolini already had two balls to make it 5:3 in the second set, but was unable to close out the match. She finally managed the decisive break in the third set to make it 5:4.

"It's an incredible feeling," said Paolini a few minutes after the win. "It was a tough match. I was a bit too emotional in the second set. But then I tried to hit every ball and somehow managed it. I tried to forget what happened in the second set." Paolini, who is coached by her compatriot Renzo Furlan, played her way into the top ten in the world rankings from 15th position, her best ranking to date being 12th.