Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns ailing Aryna Sabalenka to make French Open semis

NEW DELHI: Second seed Aryna Sabalenka was unexpectedly ousted from the French Open after a 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 quarter-final loss to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in Paris on Wednesday. Sabalenka, hampered by illness throughout the match, struggled to maintain her form against the 17-year-old.
Andreeva became the youngest woman to reach the semifinals of a major event since Martina Hingis at the US Open 27 years ago.She also became the youngest player to achieve this feat at Roland Garros since Hingis in 1997.
Despite winning her previous two meetings with Andreeva comfortably, the Belarusian quickly took a 3-1 lead in the opening set. However, her serve faltered, and she called the trainer for medication as Andreeva surged to a 5-3 lead.

Sabalenka managed to regroup and forced a tiebreak, winning the first set with a stunning drop shot. However, she appeared physically strained at the start of the second set, receiving a time violation for taking too long between games and showing signs of distress.
Andreeva capitalized on Sabalenka's struggles, leveling the match by taking the second set 6-4. In the decisive third set, both players exchanged breaks, thrilling the fans on Court Philippe Chatrier with their high-quality play.

Ultimately, Andreeva broke Sabalenka in the final game to secure a memorable victory on her second match point, completing a significant upset against the 2023 semi-finalist.
"Honestly I was really nervous before the match, I knew she'd have an advantage," said Andreeva, who had lost both her previous meetings with Sabalenka in straight sets.
"I see the game, I play whenever I want, I don't really have a plan. When I see an open space on the court I try to play, I try to play behind her back or something like this.
"Me and my coach, we had a plan today but again I didn't remember anything. I just try to play as I feel."
Andreeva, currently ranked 38th, had already secured a breakthrough into the world's top 30 with her run to the last eight. With her continued success and reaching the semifinals, she is now poised to rise even further in the rankings.
(With Reuters inputs)