Andreeva, Paolini Pull Off French Open QF Stunners, Take Down Sabalenka, Rybakina

It sure didn’t look like it would happen the way the women’s draw was going, but the barrage of upsets hit and once again longshots have reached the semifinals at the French Open as both Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina fell in Wednesday stunners.

The big-hitting Rybakina figured to have a tough time with Jasmine Paolini who had won Dubai and who had given Rybakina problems in the past. But given the 28-year-old Italian was in her first Slam quarterfinal against Rybakina who had been playing well, the odds were long.

But Paolini took advantage of a down lackluster Rybakina, dominated on serve to take the opener.

Up a set and 4-3 serving 40-15, just five points from the win, Paolini finally blinked. The Wimbledon champion upped her power and ran off the last three games to level.

A breakfest would ensue but Paolini would hang on for the biggest win of her life 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Paolini said. “It was a really tough match. I think I was too emotional in the second set, but then I said to myself ‘Okay, she’s a great champion so it can happen.’ Just fight, try to keep it there, try to hit every ball and it worked, I’m here.”

She admitted the nerves hit in that second set.

“I just tried to stay there every point, and to forget what happened in the second set, because it can happen – it’s tennis, so it’s normal. I managed to come back and to stay focused, I just accepted it and fought again.”

Rybakina fell short again in the French Open quarters. She was the only player to have defeated Iga Swiatek on clay this year.

“It’s definitely not the greatest day. She played really well,” Rybakina said. “It’s definitely not the greatest day. She played really well.

“She started much better. She was moving good. I started a bit slow, and she was aggressive from the first ball. Then I was just trying to find my game, which was always I would step back and I was trying to fight through, but in the end, it’s not the greatest day in the office.”

Sabalenka followed against the 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva. The burly Belarussian had two wins over the teen sensation in Madrid, so there wasn’t much talk of an upset, and not with Sabalenka having won her last 11 in Slams.

Sabalenka jumped out ahead 2-0 but then things changed. Andreeva started getting the better of rallies and not soon after Sabalenka needed the trainer to calm her stomach.

Once the meds kicked in, she was able to steal the first after Andreeva failed to serve it out. Up a quick break in the second, ordered appeared to have been restored. But Sabalenka went downhill again, often hunched over after points.

In the third she made one last push but it wasn’t enough. Andreeva was took steady and took the win 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 in 2 hours, 29 minutes. She was so dial-in, she didn’t it know the match was over.

“I forgot the score at the end, I just tried to stay focused,” she said. “In my second match point, I imagined I was trying to save break point. I tried to play brave and I managed to win.”

Andreeva, who is playing just her fifth Grand Slam event, becomes the youngest semifinalist at the French Open since 16-year-old Martina Hingis made the final in 1997.

“I see the game, I just play wherever I want, I don’t even have a plan. When I see an open space, I try to hit there,” Andreeva said.

“Me and my coach had a plan today, but I didn’t remember anything during the match. I just tried to play as I feel.”

The unseeded Andreeva and Paolini just played in April in Madrid won by the Russian.

“I played her in Madrid,” Andreeva said. “It was a really tough match mentally and game wise. She plays really fast, moves really fast, she goes for it no matter the score or the situation. I think it will be a little bit like today, I’ll try to play the same level with a ‘cold head’ and we’ll see what happens.”

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