PARIS, June 10, 2021 (by Alessandro Boroch)
In her 52nd major main draw appearance, 29-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova came through her Roland Garros semi-final against Tamara Zidansek in straight sets to move into her career-first Grand Slam final. The No. 31 seed from Russia ended the historical run of the World No. 84 Zidansek from Slovenia following a 7-5, 6-3 win Thursday afternoon on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Pavlyuchenkova became the first Russian woman to advance to a major singles final since Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open in 2015. Further, she is the first woman to play more than 50 majors before reaching her first major final. On Saturday, the native of Samara will bid to become the fourth Russian woman overall to lift the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen.
During the course of the match, Pavlyuchenkova struck 19 winners and won 58 per-cent (29 of 50) of her first-serve points. She eventually converted six of her 10 break-point chances to prevail after an hour and 34 minutes.
“I had my own long special road,” Pavlyuchenkova told the media in her post-match press conference. “Everybody has different ways. I don’t know, I’m just happy I’m in the final. Trying to enjoy.
“I think about [winning a Grand Slam tournament] all the time. Been thinking about it since I was a junior, since I was a little kid, since I started playing tennis. That’s what you’re playing for. That’s what you want. It’s been there in my head forever.”
With a win in the final, Pavlyuchenkova would move to No. 14 in the WTA rankings, one place behind her career-best ranking from 2011.
🥰🥰🥰 @NastiaPav pic.twitter.com/lRgTGw1eUT
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) June 10, 2021
Newly-gained maturity for Zidansek
Despite her setback, the 23-year-old Zidansek, who lost two previous times in the first round of the French Open, was still happy with her performance in Paris.
“I’ve learned that sometimes when I was younger, I was always looking at big players, ‘Wow, they’re hitting so good’. Maybe I want to have a shot like that or something,” Zidansek said.
“But I think I showed myself and I’ve learned that at this stage it really is, I’m going to say, 90 per cent a mental game, just about going out there and believing in yourself, believing in your game. At the end being able to go out there and show your best game.”
Zidansek is projected to crack the Top 50 next week, becoming just the fifth Slovenian player to achieve such a massive milestone on the women’s tour.
BRAVO Tamiiiiii 👏👏👏
With French Open SF, Zidanšek earns Olympic games appearance in Tokio & will become only the fifth 🇸🇮 to crack TOP 50 @wta rankings on Monday!
Other four:
🎾Tina Pisnik
🎾Maja Matevžič
🎾Katarina Srebotnik
🎾Polona Hercog#RolandGarros— Marko Hrastar 🇸🇮 (@Markohrastar) June 8, 2021
Krejcikova saves match points, prevails over Sakkari
In a highly dramatic match with plenty of momentum switches coupled signs of nervousness, World No. 33 Barbora Krejcikova saved one match point and won on her fifth match-point opportunity against 17th seed Maria Sakkari 7-5, 4-6, 9-7 to reach her first major singles final. On Saturday, she will bid to become the first Roland Garros champion from the Czech Republic champion since Hana Mandilikova in 1981.
Barbora Krejcikova’s Road to the #RG21 Final:
d. Kr.Pliskova 57 64 62
d. [32] Alexandrova 62 63
d. [5] Svitolina 63 62
d. Stephens 62 60
d. [24] Gauff 76 63
d. [17] Sakkari 75 46 97 (saved MP)Extends her winning streak to 11 matches, has won 13 of her last 14 matches. pic.twitter.com/mabygeb89A
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) June 10, 2021
Sakkari was in full control of the third set until she was unable to capitalize on her only match point at 5-3 on Krejcikova’s serve. Then, when she was serving for a potential maiden major final in the next game, Krejcikova bothered her with an impressive variety of shots, particularly forcing the Greek to overhit and shank a couple of forehands to eventually get back on serve.
At 7-7, in an unbelievable game of guts, Sakkari saved three match points from 15-40 as she landed two clutch cross-court backhands.
The drama of the match expired when Krejcikova saw herself as the winner during her fourth match point in Sakkari’s subsequent service game, having already celebrated her victory but being overruled by the chair umpire a short time later.
The match that doesn’t want to end…. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/B53cO9TwHt
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 10, 2021
However, after three hours and 18 minutes, Krejcikova eventually converted her fifth match point to grab her place in the singles title match. With Thursday’s win, the 25-year-old Czech extended her winning streak to 11 matches. She’s won 13 of her last 14 matches.
Salisbury and Krawczyk win mixed doubles title
Joe Salisbury of Grat Britain and Desirae Krawczyk of the United States won the mixed doubles title following a hard-fought 2-6, 6-4 [10-5] win over Russian duo Aslan Karatsev and Elena Vesnina.
Salisbury became the first British champion at Roland-Garros in 39 years across all competitions. It was the first major crown for the American Krawczyk, who finished runner-up in the 2020 women’s doubles competition.
“I didn’t expect this,” Salisbury said, after becoming the first Briton to win a Roland-Garros title since John Lloyd triumphed in 1982. “They killed us in the first set, and I think that it was a combination of us getting better, then they dropped their level a bit.
“All week I think we have just gone into it kind of relaxed, enjoying ourselves and seeing what happens. Cheers We have come out with a Grand Slam title.”
When your first addition to the mixed doubles trophy cabinet is a Grand Slam title 😎
Soak it up @desiraekrawczyk and @joesalisbury92!#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/sLDSA5RJ5Z
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 10, 2021
