- Andreeva dismantles Kostyuk in politically-charged match
- No handshakes between Russian and Ukrainian rivals
- Chwalinska tames Shnaider to continue unlikely Paris run
- Errani and Vavassori defend mixed doubles title in style
PARIS, June 5 — Mirra Andreeva’s dream run towards a maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open gathered momentum yesterday while qualifier Maja Chwalinska continued her own fairytale to set up an unlikely final in Paris.
Early exits for marquee names including defending champion Coco Gauff, four-times winner Iga Swiatek and world number one Aryna Sabalenka opened the door for a new cast of contenders, and both Andreeva and Chwalinska seized their chances.
After 19-year-old Russian Andreeva secured a 6-1 6-3 win over Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in a politically-charged semi-final, Chwalinska downed another Russian in Diana Shnaider 7-6(4) 6-4 to continue her remarkable run.
Roland Garros was already guaranteed a new women’s champion, and all eyes will be on Court Philippe Chatrier to witness which of the two contrasting journeys culminates in Grand Slam glory and who hoists the Suzanne Lenglen Cup tomorrow.
“I never actually thought that I would be able to win big tournaments, or be in a Grand Slam final,” said Andreeva, who could become the first teenager to win a Grand Slam title since Gauff’s US Open triumph in 2023.
“It’s everything that I’ve been dreaming of. I would say that this is, I don’t know how other players think, but for me, personally, it’s like the number one goal in my life, the most important thing, the number one dream too.”
No handshakes
As has become practice for Ukrainian players since Russia’s invasion of their country in 2022, Kostyuk did not pose for the traditional pre-match photograph with Andreeva and there was no handshake at the net after the match.
When the action began, Andreeva seized control early on and never loosened her grip on the clash, overwhelming Kostyuk with her depth and aggression on the main showcourt to complete the victory in style.
Kostyuk said she would carry her remarkable claycourt win streak “to the grave” after it ended, adding the crowd support for her war awareness efforts would be her defining memory of the tournament.
Chwalinska then became only the second qualifier to make a Grand Slam final in the professional era after Emma Raducanu’s triumphant US Open run in 2021, when she earned a win over Shnaider playing superb tennis in tough moments.
“It was such a challenging match, for sure, mentally and physically,” Chwalinska said.
“I feel like the first set was such a battle. We definitely gave our all. So yeah, I’m definitely very proud of the effort, of my effort.
“Just super happy with the win, of course.”
Chwalinska added she would remain in her bubble to maintain her focus after her breakthrough run.
Valuable insight
The beaten Shnaider said she was proud of her own run and offered an assessment of her defeat that will give her doubles partner Andreeva valuable insight into what she can expect in the title clash.
The day began with the first trophy of the fortnight being handed out, as Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori retained their French Open mixed doubles title with a 4-6 6-3 (10-4) win over Evan King and Gabriela Dabrowski.
The Italian duo dominated the deciding match tiebreak and are the first pair to successfully defend the French Open mixed doubles title since Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and Taiwan’s Latisha Chan in 2019.
“It’s started to become a good habit,” Vavassori said.
“We’re not taking for granted to win a Grand Slam. We’re very happy, and to win back to back here is amazing. We love this tournament.”
Errani credited the pair’s friendship for their success.
“I think we both are very competitive ... I think we have many things similar,” she added.
“We love tennis, we love to study matches, we love to talk tactics. I don’t know if the others do that, but we’re doing a great job.” — Reuters
