As the French Open 2018 approaches the business end, day 11 saw the likes of Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep taking the court on Wednesday. The 2016 champion Gabrine Muguruza took on Maria Sharapova in a mouth-watering encounter as well. The Russian was outclassed by Spaniard who was in her element.
Here is a warp of day 11 in Paris.
Muguruza into second Paris semi-final
Garbine Muguruza thrashed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-1 to reach the French Open semi-finals, condemning the Russian to her worst Grand Slam defeat in more than six years. The Spanish third seed, who was the champion in Paris in 2016, will face top seed Simona Halep for a place in Saturday’s final.
Sharapova, playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015, suffered her most one-sided defeat at the Slams since a 6-3, 6-0 loss to Victoria Azarenka in the 2012 Australian Open final.
Halep needs three sets to beat Kerber
Top seed and world number one Simona Halep defeated Angelique Kerber 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-2 to reach her third French Open semi-final on Wednesday.
Halep, the runner-up in 2014 and 2017, will face Spanish third seed Garbine Muguruza for a place in Saturday’s final. Muguruza, the 2016 champion, earlier thrashed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals, condemning the Russian to her worst Grand Slam defeat in more than six years.
Nadal drops first Paris set in three years
Rafael Nadal was fighting back in his French Open quarter-final against Diego Schwartzman on Wednesday when rain brought an early halt to action at Roland Garros.
Top seed Nadal, chasing a 11th title in Paris, dropped the first set 6-4 to his Argentine opponent, the first time he had lost a set at the tournament since 2015. But he was 5-3 and 30-15 to the good when rain sent the players off for good.
Over on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Marin Cilic and Juan Martin del Potro were locked in a first-set tiebreak when play was called off. The two quarter-finals will resume on Thursday.
Quotable quotes
“I think my answer to that is I don’t take those lists very seriously.” – Maria Sharapova on the Forbes list of top earning athletes showing not one single woman in the top 100.
“I think she made everyone wait a little bit.” – Sharapova on Serena Williams’s decision to pull out of their last-16 match.
“Does anyone have any earplugs for these ladies matches? Why do they not grunt in practice but in matches and especially big matches it is louder than a 747.” – Former British player Greg Rusedski
“My head won it.” – Simona Halep on her three-set win over Angelique Kerber.
Bad hair day?
Numbers up
5: Points won on own serve in second set by Sharapova against Muguruza.
99: Unforced errors in the Halep v Kerber quarter-final
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