Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
A trio of players have reached uncharted ground in the French Open women’s singles, in which no previous Roland Garros champion remains.
Russian Diana Shnaider and Poland’s Maja Chwalinska are into their first grand slam quarter-finals while another Russian, Anna Kalinskaya, has reached the last eight in Paris for the first time, having previously reached that stage in Melbourne in 2024.
Shnaider overcame a second set blip to battle past American Madison Keys 6-3 3-6 6-0. Chwalinska won 6-3 6-2 to put out Diane Parry, the last Frenchwoman in the event. In the closest match Kalinskaya beat Anastasia Potapova 6-4 2-6 7-6 (10-7).
Shnaider, a 22-year-old left-hander, had lost her three previous meetings with Keys but this was their first meeting on clay.
Neither player was able to hold serve for the first four games but Shnaider, seeded 25th, six behind Keys, then did so to establish an advantage she retained.
Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion, was more aggressive in the second set and reduced her number of unforced errors to level.
But Shnaider raced through the decider to set up a quarter-final either against the winner of Monday’s night match between top seed Aryna Sabalenka or former world No.1 Naomi Osaka.
Parry, who stunned world No.6 Amanda Anisimova in the third round, was outmanoeuvred in her maiden fourth-round appearance at a grand slam by Chwalinska. The 24-year-old qualifier troubled the home favourite with a mix of slices, drop shots, and clever variations on Court Philippe Chatrier.
“It’s my game, it’s pretty natural for me to play drop shots,” Chwalinska said on the court.
The Pole broke late in the first set to serve it out at 5-3. In the second, Chwalinska saved the only break point she faced before storming through the final five games to seal a commanding win.
Chwalinska, 114th in the world, is the first qualifier to reach the women’s French Open quarter-finals since 2020.
She will next face 22nd-seed Kalinskaya, whose defeat of 28th seed Anastasia Potapova came despite her Russian-born Austrian opponent serving for the match at 5-4 in the third.
Kalinskaya rallied from 1-4 in the first set but made little impact in the second as Potapova rediscovered the form that put out defending champion Gauff, but went 4-1 up in the third on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Potapova fought back, but failed to serve out and Kalinskaya held her nerve in the match tiebreak to prevail after two hours , 49 minutes.
“I’m super proud, and I can’t believe it,” Kalinskaya said. “The match was so long, so I’m still processing what’s going on.”
with Reuters
