French wild card Lois Boisson stuns World No. 6 Mirra Andreeva to reach semis at Roland Garros
Lois Boisson (AP Photo)
France's 361st-ranked Lois Boisson continued her "incredible" Paris adventure on Wednesday, dispatching world number six Mirra Andreeva in a thrilling two-set battle to reach the French Open semi-finals.
Boisson triumphed 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 in just over two hours against Russian teenager Andreeva in front of an ecstatic home crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier, collapsing on the red clay after sealing victory on her first match point.
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"It was incredible to play in front of this crowd and to feel support like that. It was amazing, thank you," said Boisson, playing in her first Grand Slam.
The 22-year-old wildcard advances to meet US world number two Coco Gauff for a place in the final.
She had already eliminated US third seed Jessica Pegula, and extended her run against last year's semi-finalist Andreeva.
"My routine won't change, it's been the same since the start of the tournament," she added of her preparation for Thursday's semi-final.
Boisson had trailed 3-1 and 5-3 in the first set -- eventually saving two set points -- to edge a tight tiebreak 8-6.
She kept her cool as Andreeva unravelled from a 3-0 lead in the second set to win the last six games.
Andreeva's frustrations spilled over with the 18-year-old jumping up and down in anger and receiving a warning from the umpire for blasting the ball into the crowd.
She was then booed when she argued with the umpire over a line call, and was broken later that game after another double-fault to suddenly trail 4-3.
The Russian struggled with her serve, hitting nine double-faults in total, and made 43 unforced errors to Boisson's 27.
- 'Toughest moment' -
Boisson next meets Gauff, who battled back from a set down to beat Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-1.
"Yeah, I think there are two ways I have done it in the past," said 21-year-old Gauff, a former US Open winner, of playing the home favourite.
"Either, A: just pretend they're cheering for you, and B: just using it and not letting that get to you.
"I have been in crowds where they are 99 percent for me, so I don't have an issue with it.
You know, I hope everyone will be respectful and things. If not, it's cool."
Boisson becomes the lowest-ranked major semi-finalist in the last 40 years.
Winner of the Saint Malo tournament on the secondary circuit in 2024, she seriously injured her left knee just before Roland Garros 12 months ago.
"What happened last year was the toughest moment of my life," said the player from Dijon, who had only won one match on the main circuit before Roland Garros -- at the modest WTA 250 in Rouen on clay in April.
She is the third player to reach the semi-finals in her Grand Slam main-draw debut since 1980, following Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati who also did it at Roland Garros in 1989 and 1990.
She becomes the first French semi-finalist at her home Grand Slam event since Marion Bartoli in 2011 -- and the first in the Open Era to do it as a wild card.
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