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Qualifier Chwalinska sets up Andreeva French Open final clash / Photo: © AFP
Qualifier Chwalinska sets up Andreeva French Open final clash
Maja Chwalinska made French Open history on Thursday as the world number 114 became the first qualifier in the professional era to reach the Roland Garros final, where she will take on Mirra Andreeva.
The Pole downed Diana Shnaider 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in the last four to join Russian 19-year-old Andreeva, a straight-sets winner over Marta Kostyuk, in Saturday's title-decider.
Should she best Andreeva in the final, Chwalinska will become just the second woman to come through qualifying and win a Grand Slam final in any major since the Open era began, after Emma Raducanu's title run at the US Open in 2021.
The 24-year-old said her run in the French capital was "like a dream", moments after beating 25th seed Shnaider, who a day before eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
"I don't know what's going on, I just, I dunno what to say. I'm sorry, I'm just very happy," she added to raucous applause on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Chwalinska, appearing in her first main draw in Paris, has won nine matches across a three-week campaign at Roland Garros that started with three rounds of qualifying last month.
She admitted that her physical state was "not great" in the aftermath of her two-hour-10-minute semi-final win.
"I mean it's so challenging to play against the best players in the world day by day, but it's a Grand Slam so you just have to give your best day by day," she added.
"But I'm not complaining at all!"
Chwalinska had only won one match in her two previous Grand Slam appearances, at Wimbledon in 2022, and only just two tour-level matches on clay before Roland Garros.
En route to the last four, Chwalinska started out by downing Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen in the first round before felling 23rd seed Elise Mertens, former world number three Maria Sakkari, hometown hope Diane Parry and 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya.
Chwalinska is projected to climb to at least a career-high No. 21 in the rankings.
After edging the first set on a tie-break, the second frame was level until Shnaider requested a medical time-out for a back massage. After that stoppage, at 4-3, Chwalinska won the next three games to claim victory.
"Very proud of myself, what I achieved here," Shnaider said of her best performance so far in a Grand Slam.
"(Chwalinska) played unreal, and she definitely deserved this win today and to be in the final."
- 'See those hairs' -
Earlier, Andreeva raced into her first Grand Slam final as she beat an erratic Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3.
The teenager, who had twice lost to Ukrainian Kostyuk this season, including the Madrid Open final, said she was "so focused that I could see those hairs on the ball" as she romped to victory in 76 minutes on court.
"I'm super happy with the way I played and then that I got revenge for Madrid final and I'm happy that I'm in my first-ever Grand Slam final," Andreeva said.
The 15th-seeded Kostyuk went into her maiden major semi-final on a 17-match winning streak on clay but quickly unravelled on Court Philippe Chatrier, where she had four days earlier eased past four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek.
She finished the match with 34 unforced errors, telling her press conference: "Obviously not the greatest match from me today."
However, it has been a breakthrough clay-court swing for the 23-year-old, who can console herself with a win in Rouen, as well as a first WTA 1000 title in the Spanish capital.
Victory for Andreeva brought her tally of wins in 2026 to 35 -- the most on tour this season.
A. Walsh--BTZ
