Defending champion Novak Djokovic was stunned by Dominic Thiem, while top seed Andy Murray soldiered on to reach the semi-finals. Simona Halep saved a match point to script an epic comeback while Rafael Nadal got a walkover in the quarter-finals.
Off court, Djokovic contemplated taking a break from tennis to deal with his current slump while Elina Svitolina was philosophical after her loss. Dive in for all the on and off court action from Day 11 at Roland Garros.
The Big News
Thiem sends Djokovic crashing
Dominic Thiem demolished defending champion Novak Djokovic in a stunning French Open upset, setting up a semi-final duel against nine-time champion Rafael Nadal. Austrian sixth seed Thiem sent the world number two crashing to his earliest loss in Paris in seven years with a memorable 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-0 triumph.
It also piled the pressure back onto the 12-time Grand Slam winner to prove that he is still a contender at the majors following a second-round exit at the Australian Open in January. The defeat was Djokovic’s first straight-sets loss at a major in four years and comes just 12 months after he completed the career Grand Slam in Paris.
The loss also saw him suffer a first 6-0 ‘bagel’ at a Slam since the 2005 US Open while the defeat will also see him slip out of the world’s top two for the first time in six years. It was Thiem’s first win over the Serb in six meetings.
Halep scripts great escape
Simona Halep produced an incredible escape act to reach the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday, while Karolina Pliskova ended the run of the lone remaining home hope Caroline Garcia.
Romanian third seed Halep saved a match point as she trailed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 5-1 before launching a sensational comeback to stun the Ukrainian in three sets.
Fifth seed Svitolina twice served for the match at 5-2 and 5-4 in the second set and then had match point at 6/5 in the tie-break.
But she failed to put away Halep and the 2014 Roland Garros runner-up powered through the decider in just 20 minutes to complete a remarkable 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-0 victory.
Halep will meet second seed Pliskova for a place in Saturday’s final after the second defeated Garcia 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
Pliskova, 25, will replace Angelique Kerber as the new world number one if she makes the final, while Halep would rise to the top of the rankings should she claim the title in Paris.
The Czech edged a marathon 77-minute first set against 28th seed Garcia in a tie-break, having failed to convert an earlier set point at 5-3.
Wawrinka oldest French Open semi-finalist in 32 years
Former champion Stan Wawrinka became the oldest French Open semi-finalist in 32 years when he brushed aside Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. The Swiss third seed, who won the title in 2015, has not lost a set on his way to a third successive semi-final in Paris.The 32-year-old is the oldest man to make the last four at Roland Garros since Jimmy Connors in 1985.
He will face world number one Andy Murray, who advanced to his fifth French Open semi-final defeating Japanese eighth seed Kei Nishikori 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/0), 6-1. Murray had beaten the Swiss in four sets at the same stage of the tournament a year ago.
Shot of the Day
Thiem was in superfluous form after winning the first set against Djokovic, sending down rockets across the net. But this crushing net point was perhaps the most fitting description of just how dominant Dominic Theim was in his quarterfinal win. Djokovic had little chance.
Quotable Quotes
“Rafa’s had a great clay-court season, as has Thiem. Stan this tournament has played great. [He] won in Vienna, so is obviously confident. I came in playing garbage. I’m the odd one out in the semis, but hopefully, I can keep it up.”
– Andy Murray on his “garbage” season so far compared to the rest
“All the top players have been through this. So I guess you’ve got to go through it, try to learn your lessons and figure out the way, how to get out of it stronger. It’s a big challenge, but I’m up for it.”
– Novak Djokovic after his quarter-final loss
“Maybe I was a little lucky.”
– Simona Halep after saving a match point, to beat Elina Svitolina
“You expect me to cry? Life continues.”
– Svitolina after her quarter-final loss
“I don’t know how many games I lost this year, but I really don’t care about this. I only care that I am in the semi-finals.”
– Rafael Nadal unconcerned by losing just 22 games on way to his 10th semi-final
“It’s the toughest match you can imagine.”
– Thiem on facing Nadal in the semi-final
From the sidelines
Ukraine wait goes on
Svitolina wasted a great opportunity to become the first Ukrainian woman in the semi-final of a Slam when she collapsed to defeat against Halep. Andrei Medvedev remains the only Ukrainian player to make the semi-finals in Paris – in 1993 and in 1999 when he finished runner-up.
McEnroe worries for Djokovic
John McEnroe believes Djokovic may struggle to regain his powers after losing his French Open title. “You can’t believe what you’re watching. Mats Wilander (his fellow Slam winner and now TV pundit) and I can speak from experience that when you lose that edge, neither one of us ever got it back,” McEnroe told Eurosport.
Number-crunching
8 – Points won by Djokovic in third set against Thiem.
9 – Matches in Djokovic’s career in which has suffered a 6-0 “bagel” set
22 – Number of games lost by Nadal on his way to the semi-finals
100 – Nadal’s victory in five-set clay court matches.
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