French Open will produce a first for women
All four semifinalists are there for first time in a major. Djokovic, Nadal set up meeting.
PARIS — When one last forehand from defending champion Iga Swiatek landed wide in the French Open quarterfinals, Maria Sakkari crouched on Court Philippe Chatrier and bowed her head, relishing the moment.
Sakkari is still two wins away from lifting the trophy, but Wednesday’s victory means she’s already in new territory — just like the other three women left in the draw.
Sakkari ended Swiatek’s 11-match and 22-set winning streaks at Roland Garros by beating her 6-4, 6-4 Wednesday to guarantee that there will be a first-time Grand Slam champion when the tournament ends.
In the men’s quarterfinals, 13-time champion Rafael Nadal’s streak of sets won at Roland Garros ended at 36, but he quickly recovered to defeat Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. Nadal’s semifinal foe will be No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who got past Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in a night match delayed for more than 20 minutes in the fourth set while the stadium was cleared out because of a COVID-19 curfew.
On Thursday, the 17thseeded Sakkari plays unseeded Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals, and No. 31 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova faces unseeded Tamara Zidansek. All four are making their Slam semifinal debuts.
“We are four very good players,“Sakkari said. “Players that can win a title, for sure.”
Krejcikova advanced Wednesday by eliminating 17-year-old Coco Gauff 7-6 (6), 6-3.
This is only the second time in the professional era that there have been four first-time semifinalists at any major tournament, according to the WTA. It also happened at the 1978 Australian Open.
Sakkari, who can become Greece’s first Grand Slam singles champion, and Krejcikova, who is from the Czech Republic, are both 25.