Russian teenager Mila Andreeva reached her first Grand Slam final with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Marta Kostyuk at the French Open on Thursday.
Andreeva, 19, converted her first match point serving for the match. There was no handshake between the players after the match at Court Philippe Chatrier, and some fans held up Ukrainian flags.
“I’m happy to be in my first ever Grand Slam final. All these emotions combined are amazing,” Andreeva said. “I told myself that no matter what happened, I would fight with all my might. That’s how I was able to win.”
Andreeva’s final opponent was Poland’s Maja Chwalinska, who defeated Diana Schneider of Russia 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the semi-finals later on Thursday, becoming only the second competitor in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam singles final.
“I feel like I’m in a bubble. I don’t know what’s going on,” Chwalinska said. “Once the tournament is over, it’ll be time to process it. Breathe in, breathe out.”
Chwarinska, 24, has a chance to match Emma Raducanu’s title win at the 2021 US Open. Since the beginning of the Open Era in 1968, only two players have advanced to the men’s or women’s major singles final from the qualifying rounds, according to statistics provider Opta.
According to DraftKings odds, Andreeva opened the French Open as a -482 favorite against Czwalinska (+355) to win.
Chwarinska sealed the victory on her first match point with a powerful forehand winner down the line, but then retreated with her hands to her face. Then she sat down in the chair, buried her face in the towel, and panted heavily.
“Honestly, I don’t know what was going on in my head,” she said. “I was so shocked.”
fully concentrated
Andreeva said she could see every detail of the ball.
“When I was tossing it and playing (the shot), I saw little hairs on the ball,” Andreeva said. “I was really focused today.”
Andreeva, who is seeded eighth and lost in the semi-finals two years ago, is clearly feeling comfortable at Roland Garros, describing it as a “cozy” tournament as she sees familiar faces every year and enjoys her time in Paris.
“I really like walking around the city and going into little restaurants on the street,” she said. “I also speak a little French, so I try to talk to people in French from time to time.”
tension on court
There was no post-match handshake between Andreeva and Kostyuk, but the Ukrainian player simply walked away and turned around to wave and blow kisses to the crowd.
The atmosphere beforehand was somewhat tense, as the players were photographed separately, standing next to two children on each side of the net. Usually, the players stand next to the net and take a photo.
During the conference, Kostyuk and her compatriot Oleksandra Olnikova spoke out about the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on their country.
Kostyuk, the 15th seed, said the loss would not linger given how much support he felt from the fans during the match in Paris.
“I’ll never forget the applause I received after the quarterfinal match. It’s 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 first service game, then hit a flurry of forehand winners to take a 4-0 lead. Kostyuk held serve in the fifth game to loud cheers, but then the Ukrainian handed Andreeva the first set when her backhand hit the net.
the roof opens and then closes
The semi-finals began just after 3pm with the roof open, as was the case on Wednesday, when quarter-final losers Aryna Sabalenka and Anna Kalinskaya complained of swirling winds at Chatrier and that the roof should have been closed.
The match concluded towards the end of the second set of Thursday’s semi-final, giving Kostyuk better conditions for the match on clay. She broke back at 4-3, but dropped her next service game, and the turnaround ended almost as quickly as it began, with Kostyuk winning his 16th straight match on clay.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
