French Open quarter-finals: Zverev v De Minaur after Andreeva stuns Sabalenka – live | French Open 2024

After beating Medvedev, De Minaur shouted, jokingly, that he’s a clay-court specialist and loves it in Paris. But actually, I wonder if this is the best surface for his game, given his speed allows him to catch up with almost everything, whereas on grass and hards, the bigger guys can blow him away.

Seventeen!

It almost feels like any title won in his absence needs an asterisk, but it might also be that, finally, he’s on the way down having started losing matches he shouldn’t.

So how’s this one going to go? Well, on the face of things, that looks clear: Zverev will win because De Minaur – however much improved – has no weight of shot to stop him doing what he wants. But these are thoughts which I ‘d have disbursed earlier had I been on Sabalenka-Andreeva, so I’m feeling warier than I might’ve been; maybe the speed of Demon’s scurrying allows him to target Zverev’s forehand, and maybe he extends points to elicit errors, but really I’m reaching.

Merci Katy et bon soir mes amis. What a day it’s been – and look at tonight!

And that’s not it for today. We’ve still got Alexander Zverev v Alex de Minaur to come, from around 7.15pm BST/8.15pm Paris time. I’m signing off now, but do stay with us, because Daniel will be here shortly to take you through the last men’s quarter-final. Bye!

Andreeva is the youngest grand slam semi-finalist since Martina Hingis at the 1997 US Open. Which is kind of appropriate given she’s been compared to Hingis in terms of her style of play. The 17-year-old showed maturity beyond her years to see the match out against Sabalenka and not be distracted by her ailing opponent. We still don’t know what the issue was with Sabalenka, we’ll have to wait for her press conference to find out. Hugely disappointing for her – this defeat ends her run of six consecutive grand slam semi-finals and means she will lose her world No 2 ranking to Coco Gauff next week – and it leaves the winner of tomorrow’s Iga Swiatek v Gauff semi-final as the huge favourite for the title.

Women’s semi-final line-up

Andreeva is talking to Mats Wilander on court:

I tried to not focus on the score, on the second match point I was trying to imagine I was saving a break point. I didn’t expect the crowd to cheer for me today, so thank you. [Conchita Martinez, her coach] is giving me great support. Having her by my side is an amazing advantage for me.

I played Paolini in Madrid [Andreeva won]. It was really tough, she moves really fast, she goes for it. I will try to play the same level as today with the same cold head and we’ll see what will happen.

Andreeva shocks Sabalenka 6-7, 6-4, 6-4!

Andreeva 6-7, 6-4, 5-4 Sabalenka*

Perfect start for Sabalenka with an ace down the T, followed by a deep forehand strike to Andreeva’s left. 30-0. She then targets the other side, but her footwork is a bit awry, and the ball skids wide. 30-15. Another unforced error and it’s 30-all. A crunch point this. Andreeva is two points from the biggest win of her life. And Sabalenka leaves absolutely no margin for error with a backhand down the line, and it pays off! 40-30…

Andreeva 6-7, 6-4, 5-4 Sabalenka*

Andreeva is rolling through this game. 15-0, 30-0, 40-0. A brief blip for 40-15 but no bother, the Russian takes the next point and the pressure is now very much on Sabalenka, who must hold serve to stay in this quarter-final…

Andreeva* 6-7, 6-4, 4-4 Sabalenka

Slightly distracted by watching that video, I miss most of Sabalenka’s service game. But she holds to 30, finishing with a flourish as she half volleys from the back of the court and pulls off the winner! Incroyable!

That last point:

Andreeva 6-7, 6-4, 4-3 Sabalenka*

Andreeva’s serve is by no means the strongest part of her game, and with a few more first serves (she’s landed only 48% so far), she would have a real chance of finishing Sabalenka off. Andreeva must be listening, because she does make two first serves here, but from 30-0 she’s pegged back to 30-all. Sabalenka then knifes a backhand into the net. Andreeva shows great court coverage to stay in the point, which she absolutely has no right to win, but somehow she does and she nudges ahead in this final set!

Andreeva breaks back: Andreeva* 6-7, 6-4, 3-3 Sabalenka

But just as quickly as Sabalenka breaks, she’s in danger of getting broken. 0-15, 0-30, 0-40. Three immediate break-back points for Andreeva. The spectators are appreciating Sabalenka’s effort in this match, I think, but the points are so short it’s hard for them to fully get into this. Sabalenka reduces her arrears to 15-40 but makes no further progress.

Sabalenka breaks: Andreeva 6-7, 6-4, 2-3 Sabalenka*

Sabalenka doubles over after winning the previous game and still looks in some discomfort. But then she raises her arms to the crowd asking for more support. Maybe they can carry her through here; but I think they’re quite split about who they want to win. Though they do cheer pretty loudly when she gets to 0-40 on Andreeva’s serve. Three break points. And she needs only one because her return is deep and Andreeva’s reply sails long! Some Djokovic-style rope-a-dope from Sabalenka there.

Andreeva* 6-7, 6-4, 2-2 Sabalenka

Who’s more likely to surrender here: the ailing world No 2? Or the 17-year-old who’s never played in a grand slam quarter-final before today? Neither are bringing their A-game. Sabalenka meekly falls 0-30 down. But then Andreeva throws in an awful shot for 15-30. Sabalenka steps up the level with a backhand down the line. 30-all. And there’s Sabalenka’s second ace of the day. 40-30. Game.

Andreeva 6-7, 6-4, 2-1 Sabalenka*

Sabalenka goes all-out on the return at 15-30. No subtlety there. She misses. 30-all. 40-30, when Sabalenka looks more like a park player than a pro, as she sets it up for Andreeva with a short, high moon ball which the Russian eats up. Game.

Andreeva* 6-7, 6-4, 1-1 Sabalenka

Andreeva skips to the other end after holding to 15. Sabalenka, meanwhile, is walking slowly, while puffing out her cheeks. As the shadows now move over half of the court, Sabalenka refuses to let her dark mood affect her, as she holds to love. Didn’t see that coming given her body language before the game. All she had to do was land four serves – not even at full speed – and Andreeva couldn’t put on any pressure.

That’s the first set Andreeva has taken off Sabalenka in their three meetings. But then today’s Sabalenka is not the same as the one Andreeva has faced previously. What does Sabalenka have left for this third set? Normally the world No 2 would be the overwhelming favourite in this decider, but not so today.

Andreeva wins the second set 6-4!

Andreeva 6-7, 5-4 Sabalenka*

15-0. 30-0. 40-0. 40-15, as Sabalenka goes for broke on the return. She doesn’t want these points going on any longer than necessary. 40-30, as Andreeva hits the net post instead of the court. And just as the evening shadows start to spread across the court, Sabalenka lets Andreeva off the hook with a stray return. Sabalenka must now hold to prevent this from going the distance.

Andreeva* 6-7, 4-4 Sabalenka

Sabalenka slides to 15-30. And then summons all her strength to pull off the forehand winner back behind Andreeva for 30-all. Sabalenka sorely needs a hold here; she does not want this going to three sets. And she shows some great footwork to get into prime position to arrow a backhand winner down the line. 40-30. Jeu Sabalenka. Gutsy.

Sabalenka breaks back: Andreeva 6-7, 4-3 Sabalenka*

But just as Sabalenka looks as if she’s about to combust, she breaks to 15. This is so wildly unpredictable, little rhythm, no momentum, it’s hard for the crowd to get into it. And just to puncture the rhythm more, Sabalenka calls the trainer. She takes some more medication but again turns down the chance for any treatment, opting against taking a timeout, which suggests it may be illness rather than anything muscular etc.

Andreeva breaks: Andreeva* 6-7, 4-2 Sabalenka

Whatever happens for Andreeva from here on in, it’s been a breakthrough tournament for the teenager, reaching her first major quarter-final, which will move her into the top 30 of the world rankings for the first time. But it doesn’t look as if the Russian’s content with that, as she pulls away to 0-40 on Sabalenka’s serve. And she needs just the one break point to seal it! Sabalenka is furious with herself, and whacks the ball so high into the sky it probably clipped the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Andreeva 6-7, 3-2 Sabalenka*

Sabalenka has a sniff at 30-all on Andreeva’s serve but dumps her return into the net. 40-30. And then Sabalenka drags her backhand just wide! Andreeva holds.

Andreeva* 6-7, 2-2 Sabalenka

Sabalenka, meanwhile, fends off a break point at 30-40. Deuce. Advantage Sabalenka. Game, when Andreeva goes for the winner when perhaps she should have gone for the percentage shot. It must be so hard for the 17-year-old Andreeva here – after all, she was the massive underdog going into this match, but because of Sabalenka’s physical issues she’s now expected to do something.

Elsewhere, Britain’s Neal Skupski and his American partner Desirae Krawczyk have reached the mixed doubles final, beating Hsieh Su-wei and Jan Zielinski 6-1, 6-7 (2) 10-4 in their semi-final. They’ll face either Ulrikke Eikeri and Maximo Gonzalez or second seeds Laura Siegemund and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the final.

Andreeva 6-7, 2-1 Sabalenka*

Most of the spectators who took a break after Paolini’s match are now back, but it’s still not totally full. And the Parisian patrons really don’t know what to make of this – it’s such a bizarre match. Andreeva holds to 15, when Sabalenka goes long with a forehand. The grimacing is back from Sabalenka – perhaps she needs a few more magic pills from the trainer.

Andreeva breaks back: *Andreeva 6-7, 1-1 Sabalenka

But just when you think Sabalenka is going to gain a stranglehold on this match, she lets Andreeva back in. A few half-hearted points from the Belarusian and it’s deuce. Then advantage Andreeva, break-back point. Sabalenka is crouching down, breathing in heavily. She looks tired again. She eventually steps up to serve… and then throws in a drop shot to try to end the point early, but Andreeva is wise to it, sprints forward and buries the ball into the corner!

Sabalenka breaks: Andreeva 6-7, 0-1 Sabalenka*

What a strangely absorbing set, despite the fluctuations in quality. I’ve still got absolutely no idea what’s wrong with Sabalenka physically – I guess we’ll only find out after the match. But that’s 23 consecutive sets she’s won in a row at grand slams now. You wonder just how important it was for Sabalenka that she won that first set – would she stand up to the physical test of three sets today? And she’ll be delighted to assume early charge of this second set by breaking to 15, striking the biggest blow on the final point with a snarling forehand return.

Sabalenka wins the first-set tie-break 7-5!

Tie-break: Andreeva* 4-5 Sabalenka

A sweetly struck winner from Sabalenka. She’s two points from the set. But Andreeva stands firm and lands a cracker of a return! Wow! Right in the corner.

Tie-break: Andreeva 3-4 Sabalenka*

Andreeva tries to pick Sabalenka off with another winner down the line – but nets. Sabalenka has the mini-break again. Andreeva has Sabalenka covering every grain of the red dirt on the next point … and Sabalenka is left scrambling in the clay.

Tie-break: *Andreeva 2-3 Sabalenka

Andreeva and Sabalenka are now tied on five apiece in the double fault stakes. And Sabalenka, surprisingly, has landed only one ace. Andreeva gets the mini-break back at the first opportunity with a winner down the line – but then nets a disappointing return…

Tie-break: Andreeva 1-2 Sabalenka*

Sabalenka makes up for that mess of a smash with a dismissive overhead on the opening point. Andreeva concedes the first mini-break with a double fault on the third point…

Andreeva 6-6 Sabalenka*

Andreeva starts as she means to go on with a darting backhand down the line. But a fourth double fault and it’s 15-all. Sabalenka, roaring now as she hits the ball, takes charge of the third point but Andreeva, on the back foot, slices a forehand cross-court winner! 30-15. 40-15, after another well-worked point from Andreeva. The way she constructs the points belies her tender age; it’s hard to believe she’s only 17. 40-30. The ball sits up invitingly for Sabalenka to whack it away … but perhaps she has too long to think about it because she flaps it into the tramlines! This is going to a tie-break…

Andreeva* 5-6 Sabalenka

This has been a weird and messy and erratic set – but it’s hard to take your eyes off it. Who knows what will happen next. Perhaps the tablets have worked for Sabalenka, because she’s looking slightly more commanding here – well during the points at least, she still seems pretty unhappy between them. She soon gets to 30-0. But a great return from Andreeva and it’s 30-15. Sabalenka sighs. And sends down a serve out wide that Andreeva can’t back into play. 40-15. Game, with a delightful drop shot from Sabalenka, her second of the game. Andreeva, after serving for the set, must now hold serve to stay in it!