Halep into French semi as Svitolina chokes

“I said that the match is lost”.

“I started to feel more relaxed maybe because I thought it’s finished, and I changed the rhythm”, Halep told reporters.

Halep will play Karolina Pliskova in the last four, after the world number three beat Caroline Garcia 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 in Wednesday’s other quarter-final.

The Latvian turned 20 on Thursday and Marion Bartoli led the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd in singing “Happy Birthday”, in French, to Ostapenko moments after her victory.

With the score 5:5, Svitolina was close to the hidden match-ball, but allowed Halep to get his serve and to continue the successful streak to five games in a row. It helped me. It was a shock, because I lost my coach.

“Yeah”, Halep confirmed. “Was better, actually”.

Pliskova and Halep are set to face off on Thursday, June 8. – Murray, on his form entering the French Open.

Dabrowski and Bopanna, the seventh seeds, won their semifinal 7-5, 6-3 Wednesday against No. 3 seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Problems for Timea Bacsinszky in the first semi-final as the Swiss 30th seed receives a medical time-out and returns to the court with heavy strapping on her thigh.

Romania’s Simona Halep plays a shot against Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France.

But we’re left with a in intriguing set of semifinals offering a little bit of everything: a debutante, a former finalist, a crafty veteran and a No. 2 seed in Karolina Pliskova, who could lock down the world No. 1 ranking if she wins her next match, final result notwithstanding.

Pliskova will rise to the top of the rankings with a win in this match, whilst Halep will become the world number one if she takes the title.

German Angelique Kerber will lose the No.1 crown if Karolina Pliskova makes the semis or Halep lands the title.

Asked whether she felt any additional pressure because of that possible prize, Pliskova answered with a smile.

While there was no obvious sign of the ankle problem the 25-year-old sustained in Rome, she could not get going and slumped 5-0 down before at least making the set score respectable.

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Cepede Royg, ranked 97th, had a break point while leading 4-3 in the decider, but Pliskova overcame that scare and won the remaining games. Players of her age just aren’t fretting about career turning points or last best chances. Not only is this just her eighth major tournament, and not only had she never been past so much as the third round at one before this week, and not only did she lose her opening match in Paris a year ago, but she has yet to win a tour-level title of any sort.

The Ukrainian Svitolina broke Halep early in the second set and at 5-1 the tie looked done and dusted.

An impressive 6-4, 6-4 victory over Kristina Mladenovic followed, and it’s the way she has been able to combat opposition player’s serve that’s been her strongest point.