Champagne stuff from Lois Boisson who entered the annals with a win over rising star Mirra Andreeva to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the semi-finals of the singles at the French Open for 14 years. Second seed Coco Gauff awaits her in the last four.
Mirra, Mirra, off the wall
Mirra Andreeva was completely unhinged during her quarter-final against local heroine Lois Boisson. A lusty rendition of the French national anthem rang out across the centre court as the players warmed up to suggest this was not going to be an afternoon of non-alignment. And so it proved. Cheering erupted whenever the Russian lost a point. There was roaring approbation for Boisson's best shots. As for the cacophony when Andreeva was given a code violation for whacking the ball away, vaudeville. "It's normal that they would support a French player, so I knew that it's going to be like this," Andreeva said. "I think that in the first set I managed it pretty well. But obviously with nerves and with pressure, it became a little harder." The 18-year-old said she would go away and lick her wounds. "I have a lot to learn, so I'm going to take this time to learn and improve." Looking forward to a shiny new Mirra.
Boisson tale
Last year Lois Boisson injured her left knee as she prepared to take up her invitation from the French tennis federation (FFT) to play in the main draw of the French Open. A year on, credit to those sentimental FFT supremos for extending the offer again – and behold the recompense: Boisson is only the fifth player since tennis became open to professionals in 1968 to make the last four during her debut appearance at one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York. None of those four were French so she's the first Frenchwoman to achieve this feat. And on a parochial level, she is the first Frenchwoman in the semi-final of the French Open since Marion Bartoli in 2011.
Just saying
That pay cheque is getting bigger for Lois Boisson. Should she go out after the semi-finals, she will walk away with 690,000 euros. And as importantly, a place in the top 100 of the WTA rankings at number 65.
Hometown boy
Some refreshing balance from Alexander Bublik after his run to the quarter-finals in the singles at one of the four Grand Slam tournaments for the first time. The 27-year-old was born in Russia but has played under the Kazakh flag during his career. He was at 17 in the rankings last year but came into this year's French Open at 62 in the world and in danger of dropping outside the top 100. Top seed Jannik Sinner ended his adventure 6-1, 7-5, 6-0. Given his exploits at the French Open, where he beat the ninth seed Alex De Minaur and the fifth seed Jack Draper, a South American journalist wondered whether Bublik would be heading to Latin America for the tournaments on clay there. "I don't think these are for me," Bublik replied. "Because I don't spend much time home as it is. If I sacrifice the European indoors competitions, that means I'm going to be three weeks in Australia, three weeks in South America. Then it is Indian Wells and Miami, so I'm not going to be home that much. I'm not looking to play in South America because it takes weeks off from me being a father and a husband, which is also important for me."
History man
Novak Djokovic has spoken quite openly about wanting to mark the history of tennis. He's done that and some with a record 24 singles titles at the Grand Slam tournaments. The 38-year-old also holds the record for the most Masters 1000 crowns which are just below the Grand Slams in terms of prestige. Djokovic said he was adapting to new realities after going without a title between Olympic gold in Paris last August and the Geneva Open just before the French Open. But the old warhorse is a-rolling. He dismantled the third seed Alexander Zverev in four sets to reach the semi finals as he seeks a fourth French Open crown and a 25th singles title to further burnish his legend.
