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ANASTASIA Pavlyuchenkova will meet Tamara Zidansek for a French Open final place after both reached maiden Grand Slam semi-finals at Roland Garros.
Russia’s Pavlyuchenkova battled back from a set down to beat her doubles partner, Kazakhstan’s world number 22 Rybakina, 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 9-7.
Slovenian Zidanesk, the world number 85, earlier claimed a hard-fought 7-5 4-6 8-6 win over Spain’s Paula Badosa.
The remaining women’s quarter-final matches take place on Wednesday.
Polish defending champion and eighth seed Iga Swiatek, the highest ranked woman left in the draw, meets Greece’s Maria Sakkari, while American teenager Coco Gauff plays Czech Barbora Krejcikova.
Pavlyuchenkova ends semi-final wait
After saving two break points in the opening game on Court Philippe Chatrier, 21-year-old Rybakina – who knocked out Serena Williams on Sunday – established a 4-1 advantage against six-time Grand Slam quarter finalist Pavlyuchenkova with some powerful hitting into the corners.
The Kazakh was pegged back by the 31st seed, who seized a fifth break-point opportunity on her way to closing the deficit, although that fightback proved to be in vain as Rybakina dominated a first-set tie-break in which she raced into a 5-0 lead.
A stubborn Pavlyuchenkova rallied in the second set, twice breaking the serve of an increasingly inconsistent Rybakina on her way to claiming six straight games as she levelled the match with relative ease, and edged 2-0 ahead in the third set.
The Russian, 29, failed to sustain that level, encouraging Rybakina, who responded with three games of her own before pushing back to tie the decisive set at 3-3.
An attritional, hard-hitting contest remained in the balance as Rybakina was forced to respond to each Pavlyuchenkova hold – including coolly rescuing a 30-0 deficit to reach 7-7.
But that was to be where her resistance ended, as a double-fault confirmed Pavlyuchenkova’s first major semi-final appearance at the 52nd time of asking.
The pair must now recover to face American Bernarda Pera and Poland’s Magda Linette in the quarter-finals of the doubles competition on Wednesday.
Zidansek holds her nerve to reach last four
Zidansek had never previously been beyond the second round of a major, or indeed beyond the first round in Paris, but she held her nerve to prevail in a tense third set against Badosa.
With both players making their first quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros, Serbia Open winner Badosa made the more confident start as she established a 3-0 lead with an early double break.
But Zidansek, 23, battled back impressively with a three-game streak of her own and began to find her rhythm as she edged in front for the first time in the match at 5-4.
The Slovenian once again applied the pressure with a delightful drop shot to lead 6-5 and, though Badosa saved a first set point with an emphatic forehand, Zidansek tied up an engrossing 53-minute first set at the next opportunity.
Badosa, 23, initially struggled with the pace offered by her opponent and a superior Zidansek moved 3-1 ahead in the second set – yet the momentum swung dramatically once more as the Spaniard broke Zidansek in three successive service games on her way to levelling the match.
World number 35 Badosa continued her revival as she consolidated a break of serve to lead 2-0, however in keeping with the topsy-turvy nature of the contest Zidansek ended her slump and claimed a second break point to draw level.
With a first French Open semi-final on the line, both players ground out crucial holds and Zidansek saved three break points to lead 7-6 before taking her second match point in the next game.
“I knew before the match that it’s going to be a tough battle,” Zidansek said. “I was a set and 4-2 up, she came back, I was struggling a little bit but then in the third set I managed to get my groove and I started feeling better and better and I was fighting really well.”
BBC Sport
– June 08, 2021 @ 18:52 GMT
Tags: French Open 2021: Tamara Zidansek & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova into first Grand Slam semi-finals
