Madrid Masters
Roland Garros 2024 Women’s Day 11
Jasmine Paolini sent a former Grand Slam winner to defeat on Wednesday as the smiling Italian booked her first-ever Grand Slam semi-final at age 28, defeating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 at the French Open.
The 12th seed scored the biggest upset so far on the women’s side as she beat 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina – she had a massive 48 unforced errors – in just over two hours..
The player who will move into the Top 10 for the first time wil lnow headline a surprise packet semi-final on Thursday after teenaged Mirra Andreeva ambushed second seed Aryna sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, wrapping with a lob winner on second match point.
The other semi will feature WTA big beasts Iga Swiatek against Coco Gauff.
Paolini’s victory brings more glory to surging Italian tennis, with Jannik Sinner achieving No. 1 for the first time and playing a Friday set semi-final here against Carlos Alcaraz.
Paolini, whose tennis appears joyful win or lose, achieved a career highlight in February with the Dubai 1000 series title.
“This is an unbelievable feeling,” the delighted winner said. “We had a really tough match.
“I was a bit too emotional in the second set but that’s tennis. It can happen, I told myself just to fight on.
“It worked and here I am.”
The Italian who won 16 of 17 points on serve in the first set, was heading towards a straight set knockout of the Kazakh third seed before leading a set and 4-3, 40-15.
But Rybakina started a comeback, breaking twice to square the match .
The deciding set featured breaks in the first four games,with the Kazakh seed to drop to 4-5 before Paolini swept victory a game later.
“It was definitely not the greatest day,” Rybakina said. “She played really well and started much better.
“I started a bit slow, and she was aggressive from the first ball. I was just trying to find my game and trying to fight through.”
Paolini will become the fifth Italian woman to reach the Top 10 after Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci.
Andreeva held her own against double Australian Open winner Sabalenka, apparently bothered by a stomach complaint.
The seed struck five double-faults in a 60-minute opening set which featured six service breaks.
Both Andreeva and Paolini will be playing at this level for the first time; Andreeva could barely believe what she had accomplished in front of a full house on the Chatrier showcourt.
17 year old Mirra Andreeva (xxx) wins quarter final and becomes youngest semi-finalist for 27 years, since a 16 year old Martina Hingis in 1997 – by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
“I completely forgot the score, I tried not to focus on that,” she said. “On the second match point I imagined I was saving a break point.
“I tried to play brave and I managed to win.
“I was nervous before the match, I knew she would have the crowd on her side.
But I was surprised that they also cheered for me.
“I did not expect that so thank you very much,” she told fans post-match.
Andreeva took revenge for a quarter-final loss to Sabalenka last month in Madrid and has now beaten three Top 10 players this season.
Holger Rune battled past injured Carlos Alcaraz to spoil the Spanish Easter party at the Barcelona Open, with the Dane lifting the trophy 7-6 (6), 6-2.
The pair of 21-year-olds were familiar foes, having played 20 times in juniors before hitting the Tour; Rune won the first 500 series title of his career and his fifth overall.
Alcaraz was treated three times in the second set after an apparent injury to his upper right thigh/groin after duelling hard in the opening set at the Real Club.
The loss will send Alcaraz back to third in the rankings, with Alexander Zverev moving back to second behind Jannik Sinner as a result of winning the Munich title on Sunday.
Rune, a first-round victim last week in Monte Carlo, reversed his clay momentum in Spain, handing Alcaraz a first loss of a set for the week.
The Spanish top seed’s two final shots both clipped the top of the net and fell back as Rune raised his hands in celebration after 97 minutes on court in the Catalan capital.
“This means the world,” the winner said. “I started the match stressed, he was playing big-time tennis.
“I was able to find my rhythm after he broke me (3-2 in the opening set) and I got more into the match.
“The first set was a big battle with a lot of important points. It was super-important to win the set and gain momentum.
“I’m so proud of myself.”
Rune ended with 18 winners while the ailing Alcaraz produced 33 unforced errors. The Dane claimed his 50th match win on clay and levelled his Tour record in the series to 2-2.
Rune said he channeled Novak Djokovic’s Paris Olympic gold medal win from last summer over Alcaraz as he struggled to turn his game around in Barcelona.
“I asked myself what Novak did to win that final. I (realised) that I didn’t need to hit every ball on the line. I need to make him play and hit a lot of balls.”
Rune, who won the elite Paris Bercy Masters 1000 title in 2022, finally began reversing a 13-match loss streak against top five opponents.with his title victory.
Alcaraz may be racing for fitness with the Madrid Masters starting on Wednesday as the ATP ploughs ahead with an unpopular two-week format for Masters tournaments despite growing protest from exhausted players.
Main photo:- Holger Rune celebrates Barcelona win – by ATPTour.com
Emma Raducanu has had seven full time coaches since she started her professional career in the summer of 2021
This does not include several interim coaches Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs, Nick Cavaday, and Vlado Platenik
She and her team are apparently in discussions with Mark Petchey, Andy Murray’s former coach, about appointing him full time.
The pair did work together during the Covid pandemic in 2020 at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.
Raducanu’s most impressive run since her shock win in the 2021 US Open came under Petchey’s temporary renewed influence as she reached her first ever final eight of a WTA 1000 event in Miami last month.
It was also the most wins she had picked up in a single tournament since her US Open title.
One possible sticking point to a permanent arrangement is that Petchey currently has a role as a commentator for the Tennis Channel.
Paula Badosa has given herself less than a month to be fit for the Madrid Masters after withdrawing from Miami with a recurring back problem.
The Spaniard who once touched second in the world retired before her fourth-round match in Florida more than a week ago.
She is hoping to be back on court when Madrid begins in three weeks.
The 27-year-old described her injury as “small hernia that has moved from the vertebra, but I’m being treated for the best treatments.
“My goal is to be back in Madrid.”
This year’s Australian Open semi-finalist added: “I’m doing well. I’m trying to take things positively, put things in perspective, and I’m doing fine.
“Physically? Well, I’ve had every test possible.
“This time I was more scared than I should have been because it was on the opposite side.
“I’ve always had discomfort on the right side, and now it’s on the left. I was worried it was another stress fracture, but fortunately it isn’t.”
Main photo:- Paula Badosa in Miami action before retiring – by ISF Ltd
Sabalenka hoping to turn her luck in Stuttgart
Rune rises to the occasion with defeat of Alcaraz
Zverev grabs a birthday gift with third Munich title
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