Tennis-Andreeva overwhelms Cirstea for return to Roland Garros semi-finals

Russian teenager Mirra ‌Andreeva ​returned to the French Open semi-finals with a 6-0 6-3 win over Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea on a rainy Tuesday to continue her run in a Roland Garros draw stripped of many big names. Now ‌among the leading contenders for a maiden Grand Slam title with defending champion Coco Gauff and four-times winner Iga Swiatek out, the Russian next takes on Marta Kostyuk after she won the all-Ukrainian clash with Elina Svitolina.

"Obviously, there are no easy opponents, especially when you're going to be playing the semi-finals ‌of a Grand Slam," Andreeva said, shortly before that match was completed. "I think we're just going to try to prepare my best. I'm just ‌going to try to do everything I can on the court, fight, and we'll see. The better player will win."

Earlier, the 19-year-old wasted no time asserting herself with ultra aggressive tennis in front of a sparse crowd beneath the Court Philippe Chatrier roof, racing through the first set in only 24 minutes. "I'm super happy that I was able to play ⁠aggressive," said ​Andreeva, who became the teenager with ⁠the most Paris main draw victories this century with her 16th win.

"The last time I played her, it was a very tough battle. Every practice with her is very tough. ⁠We've practised 10 times already this year and we know each other well. "I knew it wouldn't be easy and I'd have to give 200% of my intensity and ​focus, as she would look to be aggressive and pressure me whenever she could."

Cirstea, playing her third Grand Slam quarter-final in her ⁠final year on the circuit, steadied herself early in the second set and recovered a break at 3-3, but the 36-year-old could not halt the Andreeva juggernaut. Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals ⁠two ​years ago, forced an error from Cirstea's racket to break again and she closed out the victory with a forehand bullet, before walking to the net to give her beaten opponent a warm hug.

The youngster said she did not expect to make such a fast start against a ⁠solid player. "Let's start with me having an amazing warm-up before the match on the court. I felt like I didn't miss one ball during ⁠the warm-up," she added.

"I got a ⁠bit nervous after that, because usually when you have an amazing warm-up, you don't play the same way during the match. But I don't know, I just found myself being very focused, very aggressive, going for my ‌shots all the time. "I ‌don't know what happened, I was just in the zone."

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