TENNIS – THE French Open quarter-finals start today, with Roland Garros awaiting two first-time singles champions in the same year for the first time since 2016.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will face compatriot Marta Kostyuk to secure a possible semi-final clash with Russian Mirra Andreeva, who plays Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.
The winner of the Svitolina-Kostyuk clash will face either Andreeva or Cirstea in the semi-finals, but eighth seed Andreeva is the favourite to reach the French Open’s last four for the second time.
Men’s second seed Alexander Zverev will appear in his eighth French Open quarter-final, as the former finalist continues the quest for his maiden Grand Slam title. He will play 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar, who has stormed into the last eight on his Roland Garros debut.
After Kostyuk won her first-round match, she could barely contain her emotions, because a Russian missile had slammed near her family home in Kyiv just hours earlier.
“I felt sick just for the thought that if it was 100 metres closer, I probably wouldn’t have a mum and a sister today,” the 23-year-old said after the match.
A week later, the 15th seed showed none of that anxiety as she dismantled four-time champion Iga Swiatek to reach the French Open’s quarter-finals for the first time.
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