PARIS (AP) — Marta Kostyuk, the best player on clay this season and a vocal supporter of Ukraine amid the war with Russia, will play her first major semifinal at the French Open against a Russian.
Kostyuk
won an intense all-Ukraine quarterfinal against Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 on Tuesday.
That set up Kostyuk against Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, who thumped Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3.
Kostyuk leads Andreeva 2-0 on the tour; the second win in the Madrid final a month ago. Kostyuk didn’t shake hands at the net, following protocol for Ukrainians with opponents from Russia and its ally Belarus since the war started four years ago.
“We had a very difficult night again in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv, so many people dead,” Kostyuk said.
Svitolina added, "I want to give this match to Ukrainian people and to their resilience. Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine!)”
Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least 18 civilians and wounding more than 100 others, authorities said on Tuesday.
No. 7-seeded Svitolina got off to a slow start but worked her way into the match, matching No. 15 Kostyuk’s power from the baseline. Kostyuk was better on the important points in the decider and improved her impressive 2026 record on clay to 17-0.
She's the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros in the professional era (since 1968). Svitolina has reached the semis at the other three Grand Slams but failed for the sixth time to win a French Open quarterfinal.
Andreeva will appear in her second French Open semifinal, two years after the first. She was asked about the challenges of playing a Ukrainian in wartime.
“Well, for me it doesn’t matter who I play,” Andreeva said.
“I really try to play against the ball that is coming at me. Usually it doesn’t matter to me who I’m playing against, so I’m trying to really focus on the game and on the game plan that I have to use on the court.”
After a week of hot weather, rain arrived in Paris and play started under the closed roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier. Competing in the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years, Cirstea struggled to find her rhythm against her 19-year-old rival.
The 36-year-old veteran, playing the final season of her career, immediately dropped her serve. She didn't hold serve or win a game until the first game of the second set. Andreeva’s deep, accurate groundstrokes and charges to the net took a toll on 18th-seeded Cirstea, whose attempt to come back was shortlived.
“I felt like it was one of my best matches so far this tournament,” Andreeva said. “Super happy to be back in semis.”
In men's play, up-and-coming Rafael Jodar of Spain faces a tall order against second-seeded Alexander Zverev. Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic takes on Joao Fonseca of Brazil in the night session.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
