Roland-Garros Alexander Zverev back in semi-finals a year after injury

(Paris) Alexander Zverev, 27^e world, is back in the semi-finals at Roland-Garros a year after seriously injuring his ankle there, thanks to his victory in the quarterfinals on Wednesday against the unexpected Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry (49^e) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The 26-year-old German will face Danish prodigy Holger Rune (6^e) or last year’s finalist, the Norwegian Casper Ruud (4^e), who clash in the evening.

Iga Swiatek will face Beatriz Haddad Maia in the semi-finals

Favorite Iga Swiatek maintained her chances of successfully defending her title at the French Open after easily overcoming Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

In a replay of last year’s French Open final, Swiatek scored another straight-set win over the American. She will face Beatriz Haddad Maia in the semi-finals, and still covets a third major title on clay.

Gauff, 19, is 0-7 in her career against the Pole, and she still hasn’t snatched a single set from her. Swiatek, 22, has topped the women’s world rankings for over a year.

“The quarter-finals are sometimes the toughest matches,” Swiatek said on the Philippe-Chatrier court after his victory. She (Gauff) is very young, but she has a lot of experience. I am very happy to be in the semi-finals. »

Earlier on Wednesday, Haddad Maia completed another winning comeback after beating Ons Jabeur 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 to become the first Brazilian player since 1968 to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament.

Haddad Maia, 14^e seeded, shrugged off a slow start against Jabeur on the Philippe-Chatrier court en route to victory.

After playing a nearly four-hour match against Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo in the fourth round, Haddad Maia won just one service game in the first set. However, she saved the two break points offered to her opponent in the next set – both occurred in the 11^e game, when the score could go to 6-5 – and she won the tiebreaker.

The 27-year-old Brazilian started the deciding set with two breaks to quickly build a 3-0 lead. Jabeur, the seventh seed, then lost patience and threw her racquet skyward after missing a backhand that would have allowed her to register the break as she trailed 1-4. Haddad Maia finally won the game, and sealed the outcome of the meeting in the next game.

“I had to be very patient. She is one of the best players in the world, recalled Haddad Maia on the field. It’s not easy to play against her. She sometimes plays tricks on us. »

Jabeur was a finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.

“I always thought the match would be very long,” added the Brazilian. That was the key for me. I was trying to stay focused on my game.”

Haddad Maia has become the first Brazilian player of the modern era to reach the semi-finals at Roland-Garros. Marie Bueno found herself in the semi-finals at the 1966 French Open, and in the 1968 United States Open.

Meanwhile, Jabeur, whose preparation for the tournament has been hampered by a calf injury, said she “didn’t expect to be in the quarter-finals, especially because it was my first tournament since my injury.