Womens singles
Quarter finals
Marketa Vondrousova defeated Petra Martic (31) 7-6(1) 7-5
No surprise to see a Czech player reach the semi finals of 2019 Roland Garros, but it isn’t Petra Kvitová,who withdrew with injury, or Karolina Pliskova, whose chances were dashed by Petra Martic.
Instead it is the teenager, Vondrousova, who has taken all before her, and is the only player left in the race yet to drop a set.
Fortunate to escape the clutches of the Croatian in set one, when down 5-6 and 0-40, Vondrousova scrambled into a tie break where she prospered. After exchanging mini breaks Vondrousova led 2-1, and thereafter it was a Czech picnic.
Riding the crest of a wave, Vondrousova won eight of nine points in her first two service games of set two, and in between broke Martic to love.
Martic maintained her composure, and broke back in the fifth game, only to lose grip on the contest when Vondrousova secured another break the very next game.
All looked rosy for the unseeded player when leading 5-2. Martic was serving to stay alive, and she saved one match point, eventually forcing Vondrousova to serve it out at 5-3.
40-30 arrived, and with it a second match point. Then nerves took over and produced a disastrous double fault - two of the worst racquet swings Vondrousova is ever likely to deliver.in her career. The effect was clear, and Martic broke serve with the third of her chances.
The next two games went to serve, and Martic served to stay in the tournament (for a third time). 30-40 and a third match point for Vondrousova. Saved by Martic. The fourth match point ended with a Martic mistake, and Marketa Vondrousova won a semi final berth.
Johanna Konta (26) defeated Sloane Stephens (7) 6-1 6-4
Despite the rankings, Konta had beaten Stephens on both previous occasions the two had met. These were each in 2019, in Brisbane in straight sets, and in Rome in three sets.
In a lengthy opening game, Konta saved a break point before holding serve on her fourth game point. Stephens levelled comfortably for 1-1, but that was the only thing resembling comfort for the American as she was torn apart after that, broken twice, while Konta didn’t face another break point. The set was British 6-1.
Stephens saved a break point in the opening game of set two, and created a game point. However, Konta would have none of that, winning the final three points of the game to lead by a set and a break.
No one bothered the server at all for the next seven games. Konta delivered four successive love games from the line, while Stephens won 12 of 14 points from the three service games she donated.
When next called upon to serve, the seventh seed was down 3-5. This was soon 4-5, and Konta served for a semi final berth.
The 26th seed lost her first point on serve for the set, but still reached 40-15 and a pair of match points. The first of these was enough and Johanna Konta rejoiced in her comprehensive victory.
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