PARIS: Aryna Sabalenka saw her golden opportunity to claim a maiden French Open title go by on Wednesday as the world number one fell into a “deep, dark hole” against Diana Shnaider to crash out of the tournament in the quarter-finals.

After battling back from a set down and being led by a double break of serve in the second by the world number one, Shnaider prevailed to set up a last-four meeting with Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska.

“I screw up, and then she stepped in and she played great. I feel like mentally I couldn’t really recover after the second set,” Sabalenka said after her 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss.

“I don’t know when was the last time that happened to me that I lost 10 games in a row. I don’t know. I guess mentally I got into very deep, deep, dark hole over there, and I just couldn’t get back mentally on track.”

Sabalenka’s collapse on Court Philippe Chatrier was reminiscent of last year’s final when Coco Gauff battled back to beat the four-time major winner in three sets.

But this year’s defeat to 25th seed Shnaider will sting just as much as Sabalenka had entered the last eight as the overwhelming favourite to win Roland Garros, following the early exits of principal challengers Gauff, Iga Swiatek and world number two Elena Rybakina.

“I don’t like easy wins, you know. I guess for me it’s about suffer, overcome, and get it done,” Sabalenka said tongue-in-cheek.

“You know those rooms where you just go in and you smash everything?,” smiled Sabalenka when asked how she would get over the defeat.

“Probably I will spend a whole day tomorrow over there destroying stuff. Maybe it will help, maybe not.”

Shnaider’s best previous performance in a major was a fourth-round run at the US Open in 2024.

But now the 22-year-old finds herself the favourite to reach the final at Roland Garros.

“Definitely super happy I managed to finish on a good note rather than start on a good note,” Shnaider said of her battling comeback.

“(It’s) definitely a special tournament for me here.

“It’s going be a lefty battle so I’m looking forward (to the semi-final).”

‘WHAT’S GOING ON’

Earlier, world number 114 Chwalinska continued her stunning Roland Garros run by becoming just the second women’s qualifier to reach the last four at Roland Garros in the Open era.

The 24-year-old Pole again defied the odds to down Russian 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6(7/3), 6-3.

“I honestly don’t know what’s going on. I know I repeat myself but every single match here is kind of crazy for me so I’m very grateful,” Chwalinska said on court.

It was her eighth win at the tournament after she battled through three qualifying rounds to reach the main draw of a major for just the third time in her career.

Prior to her run in Paris, Chwalinska had only ever won two tour-level matches on clay in her career, now she stands one victory away from competing for the biggest title the surface has to offer.

“I feel like I just, for some reason, I don’t process it, you know,” Chwalinska said.

“I’m just focusing on every single match. I honestly don’t feel like it’s, like, a huge, huge moment for me.

“But definitely after the tournament finishes, I will kind of have time to, I guess, be grateful for what happened and process it as well.”

If the women’s tournament is now set to produce a first-time Grand Slam winner, that has been the case for the men’s since last week.

MENSIK TAMES FONSECA

On Tuesday, Czech youngster Jakub Mensik produced a brilliant display to upstage Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca and reach the French Open semi-finals.

The 20-year-old Mensik beat Fonseca 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7/3) in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier to extend his best run at a Grand Slam.

Mensik, the world number 27, will take on second seed and title favourite Alexander Zverev on Friday for a place in the final.

“I’m excited for the challenge,” said Mensik.

He is the youngest Czech men’s semi-finalist at a major and the first from his country to reach the last four since Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon in 2017.

“It was one of my best performances so far,” said Mensik. “I knew it was going to be a tough one. In the end of the match there were some incredible shots. The last 20-30 minutes of the matches, it was really just insane the level from both of us.”

It was the youngest Roland Garros men’s quarter-final since a 20-year-old Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in 2006. Djokovic was 19 at the time.

A thrilling third-round win over Djokovic two decades on marked a coming of age for Fonseca, who backed it up with a victory over two-time runner-up Casper Ruud to advance to his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

But Mensik, whose best prior result at the majors was an injury-curtailed run to the last 16 at this year’s Australian Open, showed no fear against Fonseca, the 28th seed.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026