We have a shocker of a semifinal match ahead of us at the French Open. No one penciled this match in when the draw came out. And yet, this should be a treat for tennis fans. Two rising stars of the game–one just 17 years old–will battle for a spot in their first Grand Slam final. Who do you think it will be? As always, our writers share their thoughts on the match. Predicting this match are Yesh Ginsburg, Jordan Reynolds, Jim Smith, Damian Kust, and Tope Oke. We also have an article predicting the other semifinal, between Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.
French Open Semifinal Predictions
Mirra Andreeva vs Jasmine Paolini
Yesh:
Andreeva did so well to stay in the match against Aryna Sabalenka, even if Sabalenka wasn’t quite 100%. It was as impressive a performance from a young talent as we’ve seen in a very long time. Paolini also showed a hint of nerves towards the ends of the second and third sets in her quarterfinal. Andreeva, meanwhile, shows no sign of fear or nerves against anyone. Paolini might outplay the Russian early, but in crunch time I trust Andreeva more.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
Jordan:
Both players managed big upsets in the last round, although Andreeva did benefit from Aryna Sabalenka feeling ill from the first set of their match. These two met in Madrid at the end of April, with Andreeva winning that match 7-6 6-4. The teenager used a quite a lot of moon balls in that contest to disrupt the Italian’s rhythm. That tactic will probably not be as effective in Paris, due to the lower bounce and slower speed compared to Madrid. This is likely to be close, but my instinct is to back Paolini. I think she will be able to dominate with her forehand enough to reach the final.
Prediction: Paolini in 3
Jim:
It should take nothing away from Mirra Andreeva’s achievement in beating Aryna Sabalenka to say that the teenager would probably not have beaten Sabalenka if she was playing her best tennis (or anything particularly close to it). She will also have to cope with the enormity of the occasion.
Of course, the same is true of her opponent Jasmine Paolini and, whilst this has breakthrough tournament for the Italian has arguably been a while coming, it seems less certain that she will have another shot at reaching a Grand Slam final. But she is also much more experienced than Andreeva which should help handle the occasion better. In a match that otherwise looks tight on paper, don’t be surprised if that proves to be the difference.
Prediction: Paolini in 3
Damian:
We are in that territory where they’ll both be extremely nervous in the biggest match of their careers and it’s tough to know what to expect. Both delivered good performances in the quarters against favorites that were, for one reason or another, not playing as well as they could have. Let’s take Andreeva, who brings a lot more variety to the court and will have a higher ceiling in the future.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
Tope:
Its such a same that these two have to meet to earn a final berth at Roland Garros after their sensational upsets of the two players who were considered as the duo who could challenge Iga Swiatek’s reign in Paris. This is a coin toss between two players with five wins on the bounce, but with age and experience, Jasmine Paolini will be more composed to make her first Grand Slam final.
Prediction: Paolini in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
