The Roland Garros women's semifinalists are not random; each of them has a uniquely captivating story to tell
The women's semifinal line-up at Roland Garros 2021 is historic for many reasons. It is the first time in the Open Era that there are four first-time semifinalists in the women's draw of the tournament. Moreover, for just the fifth time in history, a woman seeded outside the top 10 will be crowned champion in the French capital.
Some might look at the absence of top players from the business end of the French Open and scoff at the inconsistency of women's tennis. But the flip side is that the current women's field is incredibly deep, with strong performers throughout the top 100.
Moreover, two of the four semifinalists came through marathon matches in their previous round. It is hard to deny that their place at the podium is well-deserved.
The first of the women’s quarterfinals at the French Open was one of the most competitive matches of the tournament. Unseeded Slovenian Tamara Zidansek ground out an epic 7-5, 4-6, 8-6 win over rising Spanish talent Paula Badosa to continue an already career-defining run.
What followed that match was another classic. Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina fell to tennis veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a match filled with aggressive ball-striking from start to finish. The experienced Russian managed to prevail 6-7, 6-2, 9-7, thus breaking the curse of a string of quarterfinal finishes throughout her career.
These two matches clocked close to 5 hours in total, with over 200 points played in each. That was in stark contrast to the two men's quarterfinals later in the day, both of which got over in straight sets.
Tamara Zidansek hit twice as many winners as Alexander Zverev did in his quarterfinal against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Even the total number of aces in the Rybakina-Pavlyuchenkova match was more than what Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev hit combined in their much-talked-about grudge match.
The last two women's quarterfinals, however, did end in relatively straightforward fashion. Doubles specialist Barbora Krejcikova continued her dream run at Roland Garros by fending off teenage prodigy Coco Gauff in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3. And the upset of the day was pulled off by Greece's Maria Sakkari, who dethroned last year's champion Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4.
While the four women's semifinalists might appear 'random' to an outsider, each of them is special and has a uniquely compelling story. Here is a closer look at what makes the Roland Garros women's semifinalists stand out:
Maria Sakkari - The powerful late bloomer
Before this year's Roland Garros, Maria Sakkari had never made it past the fourth round at a Major. Her first and only WTA singles title came at the 2019 Morocco Open.
But en route to the Roland Garros semifinals, Sakkari has beaten two top-10 seeds and lost just one set. She is playing like one of the best players in the world right now, and it is easy to see why.
Maria Sakkari's groundstrokes are among the most powerful on tour. Her forehand is a weapon, which she often hits with great pace and angle. But it is her backhand that is truly extraordinary; the Greek can use it equally well for offense and defense, and almost never seems out of position while hitting it.
A strong server with good footwork, Maria Sakkari will look to bank on these facets of her game in her semifinal match against Barbora Krejcikova.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - The curse breaker
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career at the 2021 French Open. This comes after six of her previous strong runs ended at the quarterfinal stage.
The 29-year old has amassed 12 WTA titles, with a career-high ranking of No. 13. She has spent more than a decade in the middle tier of the women's game, but now she is finally putting her talent to full use and making the most of her opportunity.
Pavlyuchenkova relies on her power-packed game to push her opponents on the backfoot. She also has a dependable serve with good placement.
In the past, the Russian would often struggle to control her game in the pressure moments. At this year's Roland Garros though, she has been steady and strong no matter what has been thrown at her.
She will need more of the same when she faces the smooth-hitting Tamara Zidansek in the semis.
Barbora Krejcikova - The expert at transitioning
Considering that she is a five-time Major champion in doubles, Grand Slam success isn't something new for Barbora Krejcikova. Mentored by the late tennis great Jana Novotna, the Czech has made the singles semifinal in just her fifth Grand Slam main-draw appearance.
Krejcikova has proven over the last few months that she is an expert at transitioning - not only from the baseline to the net, but also from doubles to singles. Having won her first WTA singles title in Strasbourg last month, the World No. 33 is currently on a 10-match winning streak.
Krejcikova is an all-court player who also has the ability to play long rallies, often producing winners at tricky angles. She usually has a low error count and employs drop shots and lobs liberally.
Krejcikova will hope to use her strengths to the fullest against Maria Sakkari in the next round.
Tamara Zidansek - The pocket rocket from Slovenia
Coming into this year's Roland Garros as the World No. 85, Tamara Zidansek would have been hoping to get just one main draw win - her first - on the Parisian clay. Instead, she has produced a dream run all the way to her first Slam semifinal.
A finalist on the clay courts of Bogota two months ago, the Slovenian looks quite comfortable on the surface. While she is just 5'6" tall, Zidansek has quite a destructive forehand which can produce winners from any part of the court.
The 23-year-old also has remarkable foot-speed and good defensive skills. These attributes will be crucial if she hopes to defuse the aggressive game of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semis.