It was the night of the titans but before that, Roland-Garros opened the last square of the ladies. The quarter-finals of the women’s draw have started and two newcomers have qualified for the semi-finals. On the men’s side, Zverev took out young favorite Alcaraz. The German is waiting to know which of the two ogres he will struggle with in the semi.
Player: Cori “Coco” Gauff
Roland-Garros will have at least one new finalist. Cori Gauff, 18, has qualified for her first Grand Slam semi-final where she will face another novice at this level, the Italian Martina Trevisan. The American, the youngest competitor still in contention in the tournament, dominated her compatriot Sloane Stephens, 7-5, 6-2. Last year, Gauff, who had revealed herself in 2019 by reaching the knockout stages at Wimbledon at only 15 years old after qualifying, had already reached the quarters in Paris. She climbed an extra step. Although 11 years younger than Stephens and less experienced in Grand Slams, it was Gauff who proved to be the most authoritative against the winner of the 2017 US Open, who returned to the quarters of a Major for the first time in three years. Despite a certain nervousness at the time of conclusion, Gauff won in 1h30. “It was really a mental challenge today. The last time I played it I lost, so I’m glad it was different today,” said Gauff, explaining that he learned from his quarter-final defeat in Paris last year.
The surprise: Martina Trevisan
The first Roland-Garros semi-finalist is a surprise guest: the Italian Martina Trevisan, 59th player in the world, overcame the Canadian Leylah Fernandez, finalist in September of the US Open, 6-2, 6-7 (7/3), 6-3. Despite a jump at the end of the second set with a match point saved and the tie-break won, the rising star of Montreal, who is ranked 18th in the world, has multiplied too many unforced errors (44) to hope to taste a last Grand Slam tournament square. “During the first match point I was too nervous, I thought too much, telling myself that I was only one point from the semi-final”, delivered the 28-year-old Florentine for whom it is a first.
Chaos: an upside-down feminine tableau
The chaos continues in the women’s draw where, in Leylah Fernandez, a new favorite has fallen. So far, Martina Trevisan’s best career in a Grand Slam tournament was a quarter, already in Paris in 2020. After qualifying, she was swept away by the future winner Iga Swiatek (6-3, 6-1). Current 59th player in the world, the Italian has never been ranked so high. She chained against Leylah Fernandez her 10th consecutive victory after her first title in the WTA 250 tournament in Rabat, two days before her entry into the running at Roland-Garros. “Rabat was very important, it was an incredible week and it was the first trophy of my career. I arrived here with a lot of energy, ”explained the Italian, the first representative of her country to reach the half since Sara Errani in 2013.
The sentence: “This match, it hurts the heart”
“Our disappointment is commensurate with our involvement. That match (Djokovic – Nadal programmed on Amazon in night session) has symbolic value: they are two sacred tennis monsters, everyone is waiting for them. The fact that we cannot offer it to all French people is very disappointing to us. This match hurts my heart ”Laurent-Éric Le Lay, sports director of France Télévisions
The number: 21
At 18, American Cori “Coco” Gauff can become the youngest finalist since Belgian Kim Clijsters in 2001, 21 years ago.
The main results
Quarts de finale (simple femmes) : Trevisan (It.) b. Fernandez (Can/N.17) 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3 ; Cori Gauff (USA/N.18) b. Stephens (USA) 7-5, 6-2.
Quarter-finals (men’s singles): Zverev (G/N.3) b. Alacraz (Sp/N.6) 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7).