Photo credit: Ian MacNicol/Getty
Beneath the closed Court Chatrier roof, Lois Boisson unleashed another unlikely lightning strike.
Contesting her maiden major main draw, French wild card Boisson boomed topspin forehands into the corners stunning 2024 semifinalist Mirra Andreeva 7-6(6), 6-3 to burst into Roland Garros semifinals.
A 500 to 1 longshot before this French Open began, world No. 361 Boisson is the first French semifinalist at Roland Garros since Marion Bartoli in 2011. She’s also the youngest French semifinalist at a major since Hall of Famer and Roland Garros Tournament Director Amelie Mauresmo made the Wimbledon final four in 1999.
Streaks of clay flecked her face like war paint as Boisson has transformed Paris into Boom Town with a historic and surreal surge joining legends Monica Seles (1989 Roland Garros) and Jennifer Capriati (1989 Roland Garros) as the third woman in the last 45 years to advance to a Grand Slam semifinal in their maiden major.
The woman wearing the blue Asics tank top is the first women’s wild card to reach Roland Garros’ final four and the lowest-ranked woman to advance to a Grand Slam semifinal in 40 years (when Kim Clijsters won the 2009 US Open she was unranked, but already a Slam champion.)
"She has a great serve. She has a great forehand," Andreeva said of Boisson. "I think she hit a lot of winners with her forehand today.
"I think that she also played solid and consistent throughout the whole match.
"So honestly, I can say of course I could have done something better as well, but it is tennis. So today she managed the situation better than me, and I think that's why she got the win."
Boisson will try to write another winning chapter in this French fairytale facing Coco Gauff in tomorrow’s semifinals.
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In a clash of American major champions, Gauff won eight of the last nine games ending an erratic Madison Keys’ 11-match major winning streak 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-1 to reach her third Roland Garros semifinal in the last four years.
Riding that jolting forehand, Boisson scored her second straight seismic upset. One round after out-dueling No. 3 Jessica Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a fourth-round stunner, Boisson electrified Court Chatrier again showing tremendous poise—and unnerving power—under intense pressure.
French fans were chanting her name as Boisson saved two set points in the opener—including denying set point down 5-6 in the tiebreaker—and the chorus erupted again after Boisson stung a forehand off the baseline to snatch a one-set lead.
Clay Cinderella comes from Dijon, France and has shown a heart of class defeating the first two Top 10 players she’s faced in Paris.
Today, Boisson rode that forehand, speedy movement against one of the sport’s smoothest movers and frenzied French fans to unsettle the typically precise Indian Wells champion. Andreeva, who spit up nine double fault, broke in the seventh game and held for 5-3.
The sixth-seeded Andreeva whipped a winner to earn her first set point.
A fearless Boisson did blink, Boisson banged three winners in a row, including hammering an ace, to tame tension and hold for 4-5.
When Andreeva served for a one-set lead in the 10th game, she faltered, committing consecutive errors as Boisson broke, inciting an eruption from fans.
Growing stronger in belief and hitting even harder, Boisson held at 15 for 6-5 then tightened the screws on Andreeva in a pulsating 14-minute 12th game.
Andreeva saved three set points in that grueling game—including slamming a smash to erase the first. Andreeva applied the body serve to set up a forehand volley withstanding an intense 22-point game to force the tiebreaker.
Though Boisson burst out to a 5-3 lead, Andreeva answered with a three-point run. Attacking net, Andreeva earned a second set point, but jerked a running forehand wide.
When Andreeva netted a return off a second serve, Boisson had her fourth set point.
This time, Boisson belted a biting forehand right off the baseline snatching an intense 80-minute opening set that saw her average an eye-popping 80 miles an hour on her forehand in the breaker.
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The 18-year-old Andreeva, who carried an 11-2 French Open record into this match, seemed to reset taking a 3-0 second-set lead.
In reality, it was the beginning of the end.
Dancing around her backhand, Boisson continued firing forehands with menace as she fired through six games in a row.
Rattled by that forehand bounding shoulder high and French fans screaming support to her opponent, Andreeva spiraled through those six games. Boisson burst through the final six points and thrust her arms in the air scoring another massive upset in two hours, eight minutes.