Novak Djokovic on Wednesday fought back to beat Alexander Zverev and set up a blockbuster French Open semi-final against Jannik Sinner, after French world No. 361 Lois Boisson stunned Mirra Andreeva to continue her dream run at Roland Garros.
The 38-year-old Djokovic defied his advancing years despite losing a tight first set to third seed Zverev, continuing his bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier.
“Matches like this is one of the reasons I carry on playing and I love the competition,” the sixth seed said.
Photo: Reuters
Djokovic has split his eight career meetings with Sinner, who will provide formidable opposition in the Serb’s 51st Grand Slam semi-final today.
The three-time French Open champion is still on track to become the first man to beat all of the world’s top three players en route to a major title, with second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz a potential final opponent.
Djokovic is now on a 22-match winning streak at Roland Garros, after lifting the 2023 title, withdrawing injured prior to last year’s quarter-finals and then claiming Olympic gold at the same venue.
A break in the first game of the match proved the difference as Zverev took the opening set, but Djokovic quickly found his groove and would not be broken again.
The former world No. 1, who had struggled for form earlier in the season before winning his 100th ATP title in Geneva, Switzerland, the week before this tournament, leveled the match before powering through the third set.
Djokovic continued to raise his game even as Zverev strived to stay in the contest, with one remarkable 41-shot rally going the veteran’s way when he faced a break point.
He wrapped up victory on his fifth match point after one last grueling service game.
Boisson, making her debut at a Grand Slam event, powered her way to a thrilling 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 victory on a raucous Court Philippe Chatrier to become the first French woman to reach the semis since Marion Bartoli in 2011.
The 22-year-old, who was due to play at last year’s French Open, but suffered a knee injury the week before the tournament, is the lowest-ranked woman to reach a major semi-final in 40 years.
“It was incredible to play in front of this crowd and feel support like that,” Boisson said, after hitting 24 winners past Russian sixth seed Andreeva.
A dramatic first set saw Andreeva miss a set point after leading 5-3, before Boisson fought back and eventually took the opener on her fourth set point in a gripping tiebreak.
Andreeva gathered herself and quickly built a 3-0 lead in the second set, only to become increasingly frustrated.
The 18-year-old started to crumble under the pressure, being given a warning for slamming a ball into the top tier of the stands as the atmosphere heated up under the Chatrier roof.
She was roundly booed when she then argued with the umpire over a line call, and was broken later that game after another double fault to suddenly trail 4-3.
Boisson made it six consecutive games to secure a seismic victory as Andreeva, one of the pre-tournament favorites, completely unraveled.
Sinner, who only returned from a three-month doping ban last month at the Italian Open, booked his place in a second straight Roland Garros semi-final by swatting aside unseeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0.
The top seed is bidding for a third successive Grand Slam title after following his US Open triumph by successfully defending his Australian Open crown in January.
Sinner was far too strong for Bublik, playing in his first major quarter-final, hammering 31 winners in a dominant display and is yet to drop a set at the tournament.
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