PARIS: Alexander Zverev breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, where Marta Kostyuk and Mirra Andreeva will meet for a place in the women’s final.

Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing to a 7-6(7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favourite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open.

“I want to win the matches that are ahead of me, that is my goal, that is my aim,” said Zverev, who has only dropped one set en route to the last four.

It is the fifth time in six years he has made it to this stage in Paris.

“I’m happy to be in the semi-finals, for now,” he added.

For Jodar, the grind of back-to-back five-setters appeared to take its toll as he struggled to cope after blowing a 5-2 lead in the opening set.

The 19-year-old Jodar was featuring at just his second major. He was ranked 707th in the world this time last year, losing in the first and second rounds of second-tier Challenger events in the United States during the 2025 French Open.

‘FLASHBACKS’

Earlier on Tuesday, the in-form Kostyuk held her nerve to withstand a comeback from compatriot Elina Svitolina in the first all-Ukrainian women’s quarter-final at a Grand Slam in the Open era, winning 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

The 23-year-old Kostyuk extended her unbeaten run on clay this season to 17 matches to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.

“I’m very happy I found a way. It was very difficult in the first two sets,” said Kostyuk, who again dedicated her victory to the people of Ukraine.

The country was hit by hundreds of Russian drones and dozens of missiles early Tuesday, killing at least 18 people.

“We had another difficult night in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv where so many people died, so I want to give this match to Ukraine,” said Kostyuk.

Svitolina, 31, fell at the quarter-final stage at Roland Garros for the sixth time. It is the only major where she has not reached the last four.

Kostyuk has been an outspoken supporter of Ukraine during the ongoing war with Russia. Her next opponent is Russian teenager Andreeva, who she beat in the Madrid Open final last month.

“I usually never care who is on the other side of the net. I’m there to play tennis and do my job, and that’s it,” said Kostyuk.

Andreeva breezed into her second French Open semi-final earlier in the day with a 6-0, 6-3 rout of Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, who plans to retire at the end of the season.

The eighth seed needed less than an hour to dispatch the 36-year-old Cirstea, appearing in the last eight in Paris for the first time since 2009.

Andreeva beat Cirstea en route to the title in Linz earlier this year, but made short work of her opponent under the roof on Philippe Chatrier as rain and strong winds arrived in Paris after last week’s heatwave.

“I’m super happy that I’m going to be playing in semis again,” said Andreeva. “I felt like it was one of my best matches so far this tournament.”

Andreeva atoned for the disappointment of her quarter-final loss to French outsider Lois Boisson 12 months ago.

“I was just trying to have flashbacks only about the weather and only about the court with closed roof, not about how I played. I’m happy that I could turn it around,” she said.

SABALENKA BESTS OSAKA

On Monday, Aryna Sabalenka overpowered fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the last 16.

World number one Sabalenka was too strong for a battling Osaka, winning 7-5, 6-3 in the first women’s night-session match in three years on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The Belarusian will next face Diana Shnaider after the Russian left-hander beat former Australian Open winner Madison Keys.

Sabalenka is the only Grand Slam champion left in either the men’s or women’s singles draws at Roland Garros as she bids for a maiden title on the Parisian clay, and to banish the memories of her painful loss in last year’s final to Coco Gauff.

She has reached the quarter-finals at 14 consecutive major tournaments.

Osaka, again sporting the sequined gold dress she likened to the Eiffel Tower at night, had to make do with her best ever run in Paris ending in the last 16.

It was the first time that WTA players had featured in the marquee slot since Sabalenka took on Sloane Stephens in the fourth round on June 4, 2023.

Meanwhile in the men’s section on Monday, Matteo Berrettini reached his first major quarter-final in four years with a 6-3, 7-6(7/2), 7-6(8/6) win over Jannik Sinner’s conqueror Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

The 30-year-old will next face fellow countryman Matteo Arnaldi, who staged a dramatic comeback to beat Frances Tiafoe 7-6(7/5), 6-7(5/7), 3-6, 7-6(7/3), 6-4 after 5 hours and 26 minutes.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2026