French Open quarter-finals: Jasmine Paolini v Elena Rybakina goes to final set – live | French Open 2024

Rybakina breaks back: Paolini 6-2, 4-6, 1-1 Rybakina*

At 15-30, Paolini could do with an easy point, but she doesn’t get it. It’s long and Rybakina then finishes it off with winner. 15-40, two break points. Which very swiftly becomes game. The crowd barely celebrate. It’s clear who they want to win.

Paolini breaks: Paolini* 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 Rybakina

You’d think Rybakina would be feeling pretty happy with herself, the way she snatched that second set having been two games from defeat. But she throws in some ugly errors in the first game of the decider and Paolini has two break points at 15-40. Then it’s Paolini’s turn to do the same. 30-40. The two go cross-court at each other and then Rybakina decides to mix things up with a forehand down the line … but it’s too flat and hits the tape. Jeu et break Paolini!

Rybakina wins the second set 6-4!

Paolini* 6-2, 4-5 Rybakina

For all the talk of the empty stands earlier, though, it’s a full house now as the second set starts to reach its climax. An absorbing rally at 15-all ends in Rybakina’s favour. 30-15. But at the sun beats down on Chatrier, Paolini hits a scorching forehand winner for 30-all. The crowd liked that a lot. But then the sun quickly goes in, Rybakina gets to 40-30 and then game. Rybakina is still nowhere near her best but she’s dug in and Paolini must hold serve to stay in this second set.

Rybakina breaks back: Paolini 6-2, 4-4 Rybakina*

But anyway, back to the tennis. The wind is picking up on Chatrier, just to add to the drama. It’s causing both players problems, and Paolini is pegged back to deuce on her serve. Make that break point to Rybakina. But Paolini survives! Deuce. Paolini’s forehand then sits up nicely for Rybakina, who’s able to take command of the rally and bring up another break point. Another long exchange, Rybakina is immovable, and Paolini blinks first with the error! We’re back on serve again.

“It’s not (only) a French or a misogynist problem, there’s a serious corporate lunch element, too,” emails Peter McDonald. “Remember day 2 of Henman v Ivanisovic? I was there. Centre Court Wimbledon was less than half full, and I’m being generous. It wasn’t a lot more populated when the ladies’ final began.” I agree with the lunch element for sure Peter – though I do think it’s disappointing what the French Open organisers have done with the schedule this fortnight. No women’s matches at all in the night session is so disappointing. And scheduling Gauff v Jabeur at 10am yesterday morning was baffling.

Paolini breaks: Paolini* 6-2, 4-3 Rybakina

The errors are creeping back into Rybakina’s game here. 15-30. But the Kazakh is commanding on the next point, peppering Paolini’s forehand side before striking the winner. 30-all. Break point or game point next? Break point, because Rybakina rams into the net! Paolini is screaming! She’s got so much passion and heart – like so many Italian tennis players over the years. Another misfiring forehand from Rybakina and Paolini breaks! If she can hold her next two service games she’s into the semi-finals!

Paolini 6-2, 3-3 Rybakina*

Paolini could do with an uneventful hold here to change the momentum. That she does, getting to 40-0, and despite surrending the fourth point, she emphatically wins the fifth with a beautiful darting backhand down the line. 27 winners in the match so far: Paolini has hit 13 of them. You wouldn’t expect that from the counterpuncher.

Paolini* 6-2, 2-3 Rybakina

A panicked Paolini slumps 30-0 behind on Rybakina’s serve. And she then goes long on the return. 40-0. Paolini needs to be careful not to get involved in a power contest here, because there will only be one winner. She’s smarter on the next point, and works the angles a bit more, biding her time, before putting away a winner. 40-15. But that’s as far as she gets.

Rybakina breaks back: Paolini 6-2, 2-2 Rybakina*

Well, well. Look here. 15-40. The first break points of the match for Rybakina. She’s looked so subdued in her body language so far, but she’s jumping up and down as she waits for Paolini to serve. But once again Paolini’s superior court coverage proves to be decisive. On the second break point the pair exchange a few moon balls, then Paolini produces a winning drop shot – her first drop shot of the day I think! What nerves. Deuce. But there’s a double fault. Advantage Rybakina. Deuce. Advantage Rybakina. Game Rybakina! Game on!

Paolini breaks: Paolini* 6-2, 2-1 Rybakina

Don’t mention lunch, Lucy. I didn’t feel ready for mine before this match, but now my stomach is starting to rumble loudly. Wonder whether there’ll be butterflies in Paolini’s stomach soon, because she’s broken to 30 and is closing in on her first ever grand slam semi-final! That’s 22 unforced errors that have flown off Rybakina’s racket now. She’s usually so smooth and controlled, but she can’t find any rhythm against the Italian today.

An email! “Why Chatrier is so empty?” muses Lucy Taylor. “1) because the French have lunch plans 2) because it’s a women’s match, and France is even more tennis-misogynistic than the rest of the world.. I was there for Osaka-Swiatek, and it was two-thirds empty for the third set. Dinner plans and misogyny!”

Paolini 6-2, 1-1 Rybakina*

Rybakina, finally, is starting to push and probe a bit on Paolini’s serve. The Kazakh gets to 30-all with a backhand winner. Will she bring up a first break point? No, because it quickly becomes 40-30. Paolini is spinning and sliding on the next point and Rybakina puts just a little too much on her shot. It’s long. A let-off for Paolini there, who holds.

Paolini* 6-2, 0-1 Rybakina

Paolini hit just one unforced error in that set. She’s playing as if she’s been in grand slam quarter-finals for years – but this is her first. And she’s 28. Rybakina, meanwhile, after 16 unforced errors so far has got to find a bit more consistency – and she does at least get off to a solid start in the second set as she holds to 15.

Paolini wins the first set 6-2!

Paolini breaks: Paolini* 5-2 Rybakina

Rybakina is again in trouble on serve, at 15-30. And then she balloons long for 15-40! That’s her 13th unforced error compared with just the one from Paolini. The only thing saving Rybakina at the moment is her serve, as she fires down an ace on the first break point. And then a down-the-line winner on the second. Perhaps that’ll get her going. But no, here’s a double fault! Advantage Paolini. And another errant groundstroke from the out-of-sorts Rybakina and Paolini has the double break!

Paolini 4-2 Rybakina*

15-0. Paolini is yet to drop a point on her serve so far – incredible really, given you’d think her serve would be vulnerable against Rybakina. The second point is a showcase of Paolini’s movement as she scurries around the clay, biding her time, before pinging away a cross-court forehand winner. 30-0. 40-0. Jeu, when Rybakina rams her backhand into the net. Rybakina looks bemused. She needs to rouse herself somehow.

Paolini* 3-2 Rybakina

Rybakina is sending Paolini left and right and left and right, and Paolini – for once –stutters, sending her forehand into the net. 15-all. The pair are again level at 30-all, Rybakina runs into the short ball and unwinds … but her forehand clips the tape and flies wide. 30-40. Another break chance for Paolini. Rybakina rallies to deuce, before bringing up advantage, and she steadies herself with an ace to take the game. It’s 3-2 – but could easily have been 5-0 to the Italian.

Paolini 3-1 Rybakina*

Paolini is moving much better than Rybakina at the moment, and eases to 30-0 on serve as Rybakina throws in her sixth unforced error. Make that seven. 40-0. Rybakina shakes her head. And she slumps her head after the next point, when she draws Paolini in with the drop shot, and Paolini races to it before threading a controlled forehand winner beyond her stranded opponent. That’s two love holds for the Italian underdog.

Paolini* 2-1 Rybakina

Not only is Paolini striking the ball so cleanly, she’s also moving extremely well; a bundle of energy. And here are two more break points for her in the third game. Rybakina rebuffs her on both. Deuce. And there’s a forehand winner for the Kazakh. She needed that. And her serve is starting to click into gear. Another stinging serve and Paolini prods long. Rybakina holds. Perhaps that will settle the nerves.

Paolini 2-0 Rybakina*

You’d expect Paolini to be the crowd favourite here, given the way she fights and plays with a smile on her face. But she didn’t receive a huge applause after winning that first game … probably because the Philippe Chatrier stands are less than half full at the moment. You’d think given the later start today the Parisian patrons would have managed to get to their seats. Paolini charges to 40-0 on serve – she’s hitting the ball very sweetly, this is what we expected of Rybakina – and that’s a love hold.

Paolini breaks: Paolini* 1-0 Rybakina

Right, we’re off. And it’s Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, to serve first. Rybakina strides to the net on the first point, and Paolini scampers deep to her right and picks Rybakina off with a fizzing forehand pass. 0-15. Which becomes 15-40 when Rybakina double faults! Two break points. Paolini is unable to take them. They’re both looking hit and miss in this first game. But here’s a third break point … and Paolini’s backhand is too good!

As for the head-to-head: Rybakina leads it 2-1 and did beat Paolini on the clay of Stuttgart in April, en route to winning the title there.

Paolini’s huge heart makes up for her lack of physical stature – she’s only 5’4” – and she will need to show all of that passion this afternoon against the big-hitting 6’0” Rybakina. As if to highlight that point, the pair step on to court and pose at the net for a pre-match photo – the physical difference between the two of them is stark.

The 28-year-old Paolini is something of a late bloomer. The Italian had never been beyond the second round of a grand slam before this year – but she reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and is now in the last eight here. She also won her first WTA 1000-level title in Dubai in February.

Paolini and Rybakina will be on court in about five minutes’ time. Paolini doesn’t look as if she’s feeling the nerves, despite this being her first grand slam quarter-final.

Incidentally it was a meniscus tear that ended Roger Federer’s career. Let’s hope Djokovic has a smoother recovery.

L’Équipe is reporting that Djokovic will undergo surgery in Paris today on the torn medial meniscus in his right knee. That would almost certainly rule him out of Wimbledon, which begins on 1 July – but he could be fit in time for the Olympics, with the tennis event taking place at Roland Garros from 27 July.

Order of play

Preamble