The French Open continues to deliver extraordinary moments as the women's singles semifinals feature a politically charged clash between Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk and Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva. Both players are bidding for a first grand slam final appearance, with Kostyuk as the 15th seed and Andreeva as the eighth seed. The match is a repeat of the Madrid final, where Andreeva emerged victorious.
Order of Play for Thursday
The day begins with the mixed doubles final between Errani and Vavassori (1) and Dabrowski and King. Following that, the women's singles semifinals commence at 3pm local time. After the Kostyuk-Andreeva match, the 25th seed Diana Shnaider faces qualifier Maja Chwalinska in a battle of left-handers.
A Historic Tournament
For the first time since 1977, both the men's and women's draws feature no former grand slam champions in the semifinal line-ups. This guarantees a first-time winner will be crowned in Paris on Saturday and Sunday. Today's matches will determine which two players compete in Saturday's women's final.
Marta Kostyuk has made history as the first Ukrainian woman to reach the Roland-Garros semifinals. Her opponent, Mirra Andreeva, is a rising star who has already shown her prowess on clay. The political context adds an extra layer of intensity to their encounter, as Kostyuk represents Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia.
In the second semifinal, Diana Shnaider and Maja Chwalinska are both surprise entrants to the last four. Shnaider, a left-hander, has impressed with her powerful game, while Chwalinska, a qualifier, has defied expectations to reach this stage. Neither player was predicted to make it this far, but both have seized their opportunity.
Stay tuned for live updates from Roland-Garros as the drama unfolds.
