“I tried to play brave,” Mirra Andreeva becomes the youngest woman to reach a Grand Slam Semifinal since Martina Hingis in 1997 as she defeats Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros

Mirra Andreeva has stunned the tennis world in Roland Garros.

“I tried to play brave,” Mirra Andreeva becomes the youngest woman to reach a Grand Slam Semifinal since Martina Hingis in 1997 as she defeats Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros

Mirra Andreeva roars after winning a point at Roland Garros (via Imago)

Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka faced an unexpected exit from the French Open, losing to 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals with a score of 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 in Paris on Wednesday. The 25-year-old was battling illness during the match and found it difficult to maintain her usual performance level against the young competitor.

Conversely, Andreeva made a remarkable mark in Grand Slam history with her victory. She became the youngest woman to advance to the semifinals of a Grand Slam since Martina Hingis achieved the feat at the US Open 27 years ago.

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Despite having comfortably won her previous two encounters with Andreeva, Sabalenka started strong in their latest match, taking a 3-1 lead in the first set. However, her serve began to falter, and she called for medical assistance as her opponent climbed to a 5-3 lead.

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The Australian Open champion rallied to force a tiebreak and secured the first set with an impressive drop shot. Nevertheless, she appeared physically exhausted in the second set, receiving a time violation for delays between games and showing clear signs of distress.

Andreeva took advantage of the situation, winning the second set 6-4. In the final set, both players frequently broke each other’s serves. Ultimately, the unseeded Russian broke Sabalenka’s serve in the penultimate game of the deciding set, clinching the match. The teenager is set to face 12th seed Jasmine Paolini in the semifinal.

I even forgot what the score was. I tried not to focus on that. When it was 2nd match point for me I was trying to imagine I’m saving a break point. I tried to play brave.
Mirra Andreeva said after reaching first Grand Slam semifinal

What next for Aryna Sabalenka after the Roland Garros defeat?

The answer is pretty simple: regroup, go back to the drawing board, and be ready for the grass court season. This Roland Garros was a massive opportunity for Aryna Sabalenka.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka frustrated during her Roland Garros defeat (via Imago)

The Belarusian tennis player came into the second Grand Slam of the year after winning the Australian Open. She reached back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome, losing to World No.1 Iga Swiatek.

However, the defeat at Roland Garros disrupts the winning momentum she has had for the majority of the season. Her next tournament is likely to be Wimbledon. The World No.2 has played a lot of tennis lately. Considering the busy schedule ahead, it would be best for her to sit out of the Wimbledon warm-up tournaments.

After Wimbledon, she will return to Paris for the Olympic Games and will represent Belarus. The 25-year-old lost in the second round of the 2021 Summer Games to Donna Vekic in three sets. With the experience she has today, she will have the credentials to go deeper than in the previous Olympic Games.

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