Andreeva stuns Sabalenka, youngest Grand Slam semifinalist since 1997

PARIS:

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva said it was a “dream” to become the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since 1997 with a shock win over second seed Aryna Sabalenka, who was battling an apparent illness, at the French Open on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old battled back from a set down against her struggling opponent to win 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4 after two hours and 29 minutes and set up a last-four meeting with Italy. Jasmine Paolini.

Andreeva is the youngest woman to reach the semi-finals at a major since Martina Hingis at the US Open 27 years ago and also the youngest at Roland Garros since Hingis in 1997.

“Looking back, I wouldn’t have expected myself to play in the semifinals because that was just a dream for me at the beginning of the tournament, but now I’m going to play in the semifinals,” said Andreeva, who had lost both of her previous meetings with Sabalenka in straights.

She will entertain her chances of going all the way to the final when she takes on Paolini — who had never got past the second round at a Grand Slam before this year — on Thursday.

Andreeva won her only previous meeting with Paolini earlier this year at the Madrid Open in the 16s.

“I remember it was tough,” he said of that April match. “He played really good tennis, and then I was able to catch up a little bit. So yeah, I’m sure it’s going to be a great match.”

Champalenka called multiple medical time-outs as she complained of feeling unwell and Andreeva, playing in her maiden Slam quarter-final, finally took advantage with a cut performance.

Two-time Australian Open champion Champalenka had cruised through the first four rounds but was clearly struggling, breathing heavily between points.

Andreeva, currently ranked 38th, had already secured a breakthrough into the world’s top 30 with her run to the last eight, but is now poised to climb further.

Tournament favorite Iga Swiatek plays US Open champion Coco Gauff in the other semi-final.

Sabalenka was aiming for a seventh straight Slam semi-final and had won 11 consecutive majors since her second title in Melbourne earlier this year.

It was immediately clear that Sabalenka was not at her best as she made four double faults in her first two service games.

But Andreeva suffered from nerves at key moments, failing to serve out the first set when she led 5-4, before Sabalenka rallied to break the tie.

It looked like Sabalenka would run away from her young opponent — the youngest woman to reach the quarterfinals since 2005 — when she broke in the first game of the second set.

But Andreeva hit straight, with Sabalenka continuing to shake her head and bend between spots in obvious pain.

The pair took breaks once again before Sabalenka called the coach back, saying she needed “something to make me feel better”.

Andreeva was starting to rise and leveled the match in her second set as Sabalenka sent a tired backhand into the bottom of the net.

Sabalenka was still shaping and complaining to her box early in the third set, but she suddenly found her groove to break to love for a 3-2 advantage.

However, she was unable to back it up with a hold as Andreeva quickly leveled and then went 5-4 ahead.

“When I won the second set and I was up in the third, I was like, ‘Well, I’m closer… I’m really close to winning,'” Andreeva said.

“But the second I thought about it, I missed my serve and I missed her serve, so I was down on the score. So I just said to myself, ‘Don’t ever think about it again. Just play, because when you just play and don’t think about anything, you play the best.”

Sabalenka failed to extend the match behind her own serve as Andreeva sealed a famous victory in fine style with a superb lob from well behind the baseline.