The dream run continues for Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, the only player in both the women’s and men’s sections who is undefeated on clay this year. The 23-year-old Tuesday battled past fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in three sets at the French Open to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
Kostyuk, who dumped out four-time champion Iga Swiatek in the last 16, beat Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 and goes on to face Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva on Thursday for a place in the final.
“I’m very happy I found a way. It was very difficult in the first two sets,” said Kostyuk.
Kostyuk extended her unbeaten run on clay this season to 17 matches. She is bidding for a third title on the surface after wins in Madrid and Rouen.
“I still think it’s very far. I still have two matches to play,” added Kostyuk.
Earlier, Andreeva outclassed Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 to book her spot in the semi-finals.
The Russian eighth seed needed just under an hour on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach the last four at Roland Garros for the second time in three years.
The crushing win brought to an end a fairytale run for 36-year-old Cirstea, who will retire at the end of the season. The in-form Romanian reached the quarter-finals in Paris for the first time since 2009.
