Paris (AFP)

The Argentines put on the show and surprised Tuesday in the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros: Nadia Podoroska became the first player from qualifying to reach the last four and Diego Schwartzman offered Dominic Thiem in five sets to make it the same.

Extended by the addition at the start of the program of the last round of 16 women (victory of Danielle Collins against Ons Jabeur), the 10th day of the French Open promised to sink late into the night with still on the program, at 9:00 p.m., the ladies quarterfinal Swiatek-Trevisan then men's quarterfinal Nadal-Sinner.

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Podoroska's feat

Only 131st in the world by approaching Roland-Garros through the back door of qualifying, Nadia Podoroska climbed to an 8th level in the tournament, clearly beating the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (5th) 6-2, 6-4.

No player had ever reached the last four in Paris coming out of qualifying.

She also became the first Argentina to reach the semi-finals in Paris since Paola Suarez in 2004.

The latter also reacted quickly: "It's madness Nadia !!!! Vamooooooos !!!!!!"

she tweeted.

If Podoroska affirms that becoming world No. 1 "remains a dream", she recognized that in the immediate future this exceptional course on Parisian clay would bring her a certain peace, in particular financial, she who usually plays tournaments ITF (lower circuit).

"I have suffered so many years and now I will have some peace of mind, I will have a ranking that will allow me to play bigger tournaments, enter the Grand Slams," she explained.

So this victory, she dedicated it to a person whom she refused to name but who "helped me financially since my beginnings (...) without him I would not be here. Today, he lives a hard time, but I want him to know that he comes into the court with me every day. "

Born in Rosario 23 years ago in a family of Ukrainian origin, and settled in Spain in Alicante, Podoroska calls herself "fully Argentinian".

Moreover, his last words on leaving the Philippe-Chatrier court were for his country: "Times are difficult at the moment in Argentina because of the pandemic, so I hope to bring a little joy", has t -she says.

In the next round, she will face Iga Swiatek (54th) or Martina Trevisan (159th and also after qualifying).

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Schwartzman's perf '

We expected a long and stuck game.

It was very long, very hooked and it was not Thiem (3rd) who won.

The finalist of the last two editions, winner of the last US Open, has indeed cracked after more than five hours against the determination of Schwartzman (14th) 7-6 (7/1), 5-7, 6-7 (6 / 8), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.

The two players left no respite throughout the 5:08 hours of their grueling duel.

But the Austrian probably paid for the efforts made to win his first Major in New York in mid-September and his round of 16 in Paris against the young Frenchman Hugo Gaston (239th), beaten in five rounds and more than three and a half hours. 'a very physical game.

"I'm very happy, not just to be in the semi-finals, but because it's a big step forward for me," said Schwartzman.

"In the second and third sets, I was no longer myself. I was screaming, I was talking to my coach. And he was telling me to play tennis," he said, under the euphoric effect of this whole new experience.

He became the tenth Argentinian to reach the last four in the Grand Slam, on his fourth attempt (after Roland-Garros 2018, US Open 2017 and 2019).

He also confirmed his excellent form: before Roland Garros, it was he who stopped Nadal in the quarterfinals of the Masters 1000 in Rome.

He then lost in the final against Novak Djokovic.

In the semi-finals, Schwartzman will face Rafael Nadal (2nd) or Jannik Sinner (75th).

© 2020 AFP