Marta Kostyuk fought back tears in a wave of emotion after becoming the first Ukrainian to reach a Grand Slam semi-final with her 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 Tuesday win over compatriot and friend Elina Svitolina.

The 15th seed who has won her last 17 clay matches this season dedicated the win to the suffering of her fellow citizens who endured another night of Russian attacks in Kyiv and elsewhere.

“This was an historic match I played today with Elina,” the winner said. “It was another difficult night in Ukraine, so many people died.

“I give this match (win) to the Ukrainian people and their resilience.”

The seventh-seeded Svitolina was playing a Roland Garros quarter-final for the sixth time.

After splitting sets with her countrywoman, she was unable to break free in the deciding third, where the first five games went against serve.

Kostyuk instead made her move, holding for 4-2 and breaking for a 5-2 margin. She fired an ace in the next game to set up three match points and secured the win with an untouchable serve winner out wide in just under two hours.

“I’m very happy I found a way after the first two sets, here I had not been aggressive enough” the winner said. “I found my rhythm.

“But I kept asking myself how I wanted to play if I wanted to win the tournament.  This was the answer and it worked.

“But the trophy is still far away, I would have two more matches. But I’m excited for Thursday, (semi-final).” 

Kostyuk will now play Russian-born Mirra Andreeva, who boosted her chances of cracking the  ranking top 5 as she ended the Roland Garros career of Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3.

Eighth seed Andreeva, aged 20, moved into her second semi-final here after first reaching the final four in 2024. She could break into the elite by reaching the Saturday final.

The French-based player overwhelmed a 36-year-old opponent who is sticking to the decision that this will be her last Tour season.

Andreeva, 19, swept the opening set in 22 minutes and emerged from a second-set run of three consecutive breaks of serve to tighten her grip on victory.

She finished in a concluding break of Cirstea with a forehand winner on match point to advance in 57 minutes over her regular 2026 practice partner.

“I knew the match would not be easy, and that I would have to put in 200 per cent of intensity and focus,” Andreeva said.

“She played aggressive and put the pressure on me. I’m happy I was able to do play aggressive throughout the whole match.

“Today my game felt on point.”

Andreeva’s victory was her 20th on clay this season from 23 matches played on the surface, the most on the WTA.

Main photo:- Marta Kostyuk celebrates beating compatriot – WTATennis.com

Aryna Sabalenka took full advantage of the first women’s night match in three years at the French Open as she dealt out a 7-5, 6-3 win over Naomi Osaka to reach the quarter-finals.

The world No. 1 and 2025 runner-up won the battle of multiple Grand Slam champions as women were finally tapped for the controversial Roland Garros night match for the first time since 2023.

With the men’s field down to a skeleton crew with Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic out and injured Carlos Alcaraz missing, Paris officials may have had little choice but to trot out women after years of criticism over scheduling choices.

.Sabalenka snuck out the opening set on an Osaka double-fault. She repeated in the second set with a break for 4-3.

Two games later it was all over after Osaka double-faulted to yield a match point and Sabalenka answered with a stinging service return for a match-winner after 89 minutes.

“She’s such a great player, we always have tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I’m happy with the way I served and put the pressure back on her.

“I’m happy with the win, it was a tough one.”

The top seed said that taking the night slot for the first time was a pleasure, calling the experience “amazing.”

“This was not the best match of my life but I feel I’m getting better and better with each match. I’m pleased with the performance today.

Matteo Berrettini took Italian revenge on Monday against the Argentine who knocked out Jannik Sinner with a 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6) fourth-round demolition of Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open.

Former top 10 player Berrettini, now mended after several seasons of intermittent injury absences sent the South American packing in a solid clay display.

The Italian saved three Cerundolo set points in the third-set tiebreaker, with Berrettini claiming a match point on an inside-out forehand, and following up with a serve winner.. 

“I feel great,” Berrettini said. “I’m happy with the support in a full stadium.

“This is why we train and fight, I’m enjoying the atmosphere with my team and family.”

Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime booked the last eight as he put out another South American in Canadian-born Chilean AlejandroTabilo 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.

FAA becomes the first Canadian man to complete the set of quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments. 

The 30-year-old Berretini from Rome is competing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021 when he also reached the last eight here.

The current No. 105 is the lowest-ranked men’s quarter-finalist in Paris since in 2007.

Cobolli lost his first set of the tournament as he ran up against an American with negligible experience on clay, defeating Zach Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5).

The 10th-seeded Italian’s victory put him into his second Grand Slam and his first in Paris.

“I was a little bit nervous to close the match today,” the winner said. “It means a lot, this tournament, for me.

“Sometimes it’s not easy when you have to close, especially when you are up in the score like I was today.

“But also Zachary played a really good match today after the second set…  tennis is like this.  At the end, I was happy, and that’s the important thing.”

Svajda came to the major with only one career match win on clay. He began correcting that in the third round by beating Francisco.Cerundolo.

Cobolli cruised through the first two sets but his perfect set record took a dent in the third as Svajda forced a tiebreaker and saved a match point after closing the Italian’s 5-1 lead and forcing a tiebreaker.

It took a tiebreak fourth set to settle the outcome after more than three and a quarter hours.