Logic would have dictated that Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka, in the elite for a good two years, found themselves in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros, but their opponents had no use for logic on Wednesday and they were Jasmine Paolini and Mirra Andreeva, newbies at this level, who will compete for a place in the final.
Casper Ruud being qualified without playing for the last four after the withdrawal of Novak Djokovic injured in the right meniscus, he had to wait until 11:30 p.m. to know his opponent: it will be Alexander Zverev (4e world), winner 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 of Alex De Minaur (11e).
“I’m happy to play a half again, and I hope to win one! », Launched the 27-year-old German who returns to the last four in Paris for the fourth time in a row since 2021. He has never gone further and was beaten in three sets last year by Ruud.
First thunderclap Wednesday afternoon: the Italian Jasmine Paolini, 15e world, eliminates the Kazakh Elena Rybakina (4e) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 and thus reached the last four of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
“It’s incredible… the match was very difficult and I was too tense in the second set, but I stayed in the match and here I am! », Launched in her hoarse voice the 28-year-old player who had never yet made it past the round of 16 in a Grand Slam (reached in Australia this year). At Roland Garros, she had never made it past the second round.
But on Wednesday, helped it is true by the avalanche of direct errors committed by her placid opponent (48 in total against 22 for Paolini), the twirling Italian was able to display her broad smile.
21cm
Against all expectations, and while the serve is one of the main weapons of the tall Rybakina (1.84 m), it is the Italian, 21 cm smaller, who was the strongest on her shots. game.
Thus in the first set, Paolini (1.63 m) was sovereign on her play, winning blanks in her first three service games (with an ace) and even leaving only one point to her opponent who, for her part, multiplied the unforced errors (16 out of 49 points played in total in the first round, or a third). At the same time, Rybakina lost two of her service games.
The loss of the second round by the Italian could have marked a reversal of the course of the game.
“At that moment we had to stay in the match and forget about this second set. Then I remembered that she was a great champion and that it could happen,” she commented.
After this first on the “magnificent” Philippe-Chatrier court, Paolini will be able to enjoy it a second time, at least, from Thursday when she will challenge the Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva (38e) for a place in the final.
” Surprise “
On Wednesday, Andreeva won 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, but Sabalenka (2e), double winner of the Australian Open (2023 and 2024), seemed hampered by stomach pain from the first round.
“I don’t even remember the score anymore… I played the second match point as if I had to save a break point, so as not to think about the result,” declared the young 17-year-old Russian, who feared having the public against her and who said she was “surprised” to also be supported by the spectators.
As young as she is, Andreeva nonetheless has great ambitions and already imagines the turn that the semi-final could take, her best result in a Grand Slam is 8e final played in January at the Australian Open and who lost in the third round in Paris last year, for his very first Grand Slam tournament.
Paolini “plays very fast, moves very quickly and does not hesitate to take his chances whatever the score. I think it will be a bit the same type of match as today. I will have to play with the same cold state of mind as today,” she explained.
While emphasizing that most often, when entering the court, she forgot the game plans put in place with her coach Conchita Martinez.