Kasatkina moving on at Roland Garros – and moving out
PARIS: Daria Kasatkina admitted Monday that reaching her first Slam quarter- final was such a shock that she almost left herself homeless in Paris.
The 21-year-old Russian stunned world number two and Australian Open champion Ca rol ine Wozniacki 7- 6 (7/5), 6- 3.
However, despite being assured of 380,000 euros ( US$ 445,000) by reaching the last- eight at the French Open, the world number 14 had only booked accommodation until Tuesday.
“My house which I rent expired today, and I have to change to the hotel,” she revealed after reeling off three straight games in just 17 minutes to finish her tie against Wozniacki which was suspended at 3- 3 in the second set overnight because of darkness.
“I was renting it until June 5 and today we decided to move so not to do it on a match day. We are moving to the hotel. It is what it is.”
She added: “I booked it through Airbnb. So you have to pay in advance. And you never know what is going to happen and if you are in the middle of the second week it’s fine to go to the hotel – I’m not complaining.”
Before Monday, Kasatkina had never before got beyond the fourth round at a Slam and had fallen in the third round on her only two previous visits to Roland Garros. But she went into her match with Wozniacki with form on her side having defeated the Dane twice already in 2018 in St Petersburg and Indian Wells where she went onto reach her first premier-level final.
Kasatkina, the 2014 junior champion in Paris, is a player who enjoys the challenge of taking on the game’s biggest names.
Her win on Monday gave her a sixth victory over a top- two woman – of active players, only the Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova have had more success in that category. — AFP