PARIS (AP) — Maja Chwalinska of Poland became just the second qualifier to reach a Grand Slam singles final in the Open Era when she beat Diana Shnaider of Russia 7-6 (4), 6-4 on Thursday.
The 24-year-old Chwalinska has a chance to match Emma Raducanu’s title run at the 2021 U.S. Open when she plays Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in Saturday's final at Roland Garros.
According to stats provider Opta, Chwalinska and Raducanu stand alone among men and women in having reached a major singles final from the qualifying rounds since the Open Era began in 1968.
Chwalinska sealed victory on her first match point with a powerful forehand winner down the line, then fell back with both hands on her face. She then sat on her chair and panted heavily, her face buried into a towel.
“Like a dream, honestly I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what to say, sorry,” she said during her on-court interview. “Let me enjoy this moment for now.”
Chwalinska's run saw her advance through three qualifying rounds to enter the main draw and play in just her third Grand Slam. Her best result at a major before this was the second round at Wimbledon in 2022. Polish countrywoman Iga Swiatek has won the French Open four times.
The 19-year-old Andreeva reached her first Grand Slam final by beating Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 earlier Thursday on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Andreeva had reached the semifinals here two years ago, but this is Chwalinska’s first semifinal anywhere at WTA tour-level.
Remarkable run
Chwalinksa has dropped only one set in her nine matches, including qualifying, and has bulldozed her way past four top-50 players in the main draw. Her ranking will rocket from No. 114 to No. 14 if she wins the tournament, according to the WTA.
Her bank balance will also get a significant boost. Chwalinksa's total prize money heading into Roland Garros was $864,030 and by reaching the final she gets 1.4 million euros about ($1.6 million); and 2.8 million euros ($3.25 million) if she wins on Saturday.
A neat drop shot and lob gave her set point in the tiebreaker, and she clinched the first set when Shnaider’s backhand went wide.
Shnaider had a medical timeout after the seventh game of the second set. She flexed her left leg as she lay on her back, and dropped her serve in the ninth game, giving Chwalinksa a chance to serve for the match.
“All the kudos to Maja. She played amazing," Shnaider said. “She moves incredible on the court, she covers a lot. Even if you think that you won the point, she’s there.”
Fully focused
Andreeva could see even the smallest details on the ball.
“I was seeing the little hairs on the ball when I was tossing or playing (shots),” Andreeva said. “I was really, really focused today.”
Andreeva, who is seeded No. 8, also converted her first match point when serving for the victory.
She clearly feels comfortable at the French Open, which she describes as a “cozy” tournament because she sees familiar faces every year, and enjoys her time in Paris.
“I really like to walk around the city, to go into those little restaurants on the street,” she said. “I also speak a little bit of French, so I try to sometimes talk to people in French.”
Tensions on the court
There was no post-match handshake between Andreeva and Kostyuk — and the Ukrainian walked off quickly, turning only to wave and blow kisses to the crowd.
The atmosphere beforehand was somewhat tense as the players had separate photos taken as they each stood next to two children on their respective side of the net. Usually the players pose for the same photo, standing right next to each other by the net.
Kostyuk and countrywoman Oleksandra Oliynykova have spoken out during the tournament about the impact Russia's invasion of Ukraine is having on their country.
The No. 15-seeded Kostyuk said defeat won't linger given how much support she felt from fans during her matches in Paris.
“I will never forget the ovations I received after my match in quarterfinals. This is something I will carry with me forever,” she said. “I feel like this is the highlight of my tournament."
Andreeva saved three break points at 0-40 in her opening service game, then raced into a 4-0 lead with a flurry of blistering forehand winners. There was a big cheer when Kostyuk held serve in the fifth game, but the Ukrainian then handed Andreeva the first set when her backhand hit the net.
Roof open and then closed
The semifinal began at shortly after 3 p.m. with an open roof, like on Wednesday when beaten quarterfinalists Aryna Sabalenka and Anna Kalinskaya complained of swirling wind on Chatrier and said the roof should have been closed.
It was closed toward the end of the second set of Thursday's semifinal, offering Kostyuk better conditions for her clay-court game. She broke back to trail 4-3 but dropped her next service game and the comeback ended almost as briefly as it began, along with Kostyuk’s 16-match winning streak on clay.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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