Pavlyuchenkova into French Open final after beating Zidansek

MARTIN BUREAU / AFP

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova held a steady course to beat a wildly erratic Tamara Zidansek and reach the French Open final.

The Russian registered a 7-5 6-3 win in the semifinal on Thursday.

Slovenian world number 85 Zidansek made a flying start with her aggressive style earning her an early break but Pavlyuchenkova soaked up her opponent's best shots and proved way too solid in the end.

Zidansek, like Pavlyuchenkova a Grand Slam semi-final debutant, cracked down 27 winners but struggled to contain errors at key moments of the match and handed over the first set with a double fault.

The 29-year-old Pavlyuchenkova forged 4-1 ahead in the second set and then snuffed out an attempted Zidansek comeback, clinching victory when her opponent blazed a backhand wide.

Pavlyuchenkova has reached her first Grand Slam final at the 50th attempt, breaking the previous record held by Italy's Roberta Vinci who made the 2015 US Open final in her 44th appearance in one of the majors.

In the final, she will face either Greek player Maria Sakkari or Czech Barbora Krejcikova with a first-time Grand Slam champion guaranteed.

More from Sports News

  • Neymar nets first goal since Santos return

    Neymar scored for the first time in 16 months after his penalty set Santos on the way to a 3-1 win over Agua Santa in the Paulista Championship on Sunday and the Brazil forward said he was happy to be playing again after a long injury absence.

  • H.H. Sheikh Mohammed attends Al Salam Cycling Championship

    His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, attended the fourth stage of the Al Salam Cycling Championship, which took place on Sunday at Al Marmoom Conservation Reserve.

  • Man Utd 'can't run away' says boss Amorim after Spurs loss

    Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insists there is no running away from the club's plight after they suffered a 1-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, their 12th defeat in 25 Premier League games this season.

  • UAE to host FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour

    The UAE is the first stop on the Asian leg of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour with a visit scheduled for February 22-24.

  • Raducanu puts on dominant display in Dubai

    British debutant Emma Raducanu got her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign off to the perfect start, defeating former World Number 3 Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-2 under the lights on Centre Court.

On Virgin Radio today

Trending on Virgin Radio