On Thursday, June 10, Russian tennis player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Slovenian Tamara Zidansek and reached the Roland Garros final for the first time in her career.

The meeting lasted 1 hour 34 minutes and ended with a score of 7: 5, 6: 3.

For the 32nd racket of the world, the match began quite nervously.

Despite the fact that the Slovenian athlete was opposed by a more eminent and experienced rival, she looked extremely collected and made a break in the very first game, and then easily took her serve and led 2: 0.

Pavlyuchenkova immediately managed to restore the balance, and after the eighth game, even a story 5: 3, but after that she gave up her serve.

However, with the score 6: 5 in favor of the Russian woman, Zidansek wavered and at the decisive moment made a double mistake, completing the set in favor of Pavlyuchenkova.

It seemed that the advantage on the scoreboard should have given Pavlyuchenkova confidence, but the second set was not without problems for her.

This time she took the lead 2: 0, then gave up her serve, but immediately made the second break.

Leading 4: 2, the native of Samara again lost her serve, but managed to immediately regain the advantage in two games, and then bring the meeting to victory.

The Slovenian looked no worse than the Russian woman, winning 27 points against 19 from Pavlyuchenkova by active actions, but at the same time she could not cope with her nerves in key moments and, as a result, made more unforced mistakes (33 versus 22), which was what the more experienced rival used.

According to Pavlyuchenkova, her tactic was to avoid the opponent's strong forehand by sending the ball to the left hand, although it was not easy.

“In such matches, every ball is important, I tried to be concentrated in every rally.

She began to act more aggressively and hit harder, which, as it seems to me, was an important moment.

When you're in the finals, it's a little dream that has come true.

I got to this match and now I have to give out everything I have.

The situation is the same for everyone, everyone is tired, but I think I can handle it, ”TASS quoted Pavlyuchenkova as saying.

The Russian woman has updated her record of performances in Grand Slam tournaments, set two days ago.

Until the current French Open, she managed to get only to the quarterfinals of the “majors” (the first time this happened in 2011 in the USA).

Thanks to reaching the final, Pavlyuchenkova will significantly improve her position in the WTA rankings.

She will return to the top 20 for the first time since 2018, moving up more than ten lines.

It should be noted that the current result is of great importance for the national tennis in general.

Pavlyuchenkova became the seventh representative of Russia to make her way to the decisive match at the Grand Slam tournament.

Before her, Anastasia Myskina, Elena Dementieva, Vera Zvonareva, Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Maria Sharapova managed to do this.

The last time the Russian woman played in the singles final of the Grand Slam tournaments in 2015, and in the decisive match of Roland Garros - in 2014 (both times it was Sharapova).

A native of Nyagan has already managed to react to the success of her compatriot by publishing a post with smiling emojis on her page on social networks.

Experts also paid tribute to Pavlyuchenkova's game.

And although initially few people recorded her as one of the favorites of the current "major", many were not surprised by her breakthrough.

So, the president of the Russian Tennis Federation Shamil Tarpishchev noted that she showed herself well at the dawn of her career, but a series of injuries and failures prevented her from achieving resounding success.

“Now, having healed all the damage, she went through a normal preparatory period.

It is very pleasant that the results are increasing, Nastya shows will.

The most important thing is that it serves well.

She hasn't served like that in five years!

We have been waiting for the results for a long time, and finally Pavlyuchenkova in the final.

She is great, you can only praise.

Now we need to recover, then we can fight for the first place ”, - quotes Tarpishchev“ Championship ”.

In turn, the former first racket of the world, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, suggested that the athlete was able to win her debut title at the Grand Slam tournaments.

“I want to congratulate Nastya!

She is a great fellow, clever!

There is nothing more to say.

She used her chance ... Are there any chances of winning?

There is always a chance, ”Kafelnikov told Sport-Express.

In the final, the Russian woman will have to meet her rated neighbor, Czech Barbara Kreichikova.

During the tournament, the 33rd racket of the world defeated the fifth seeded Elina Svitolina, as well as the Russian Ekaterina Aleksandrova and the American Sloane Stevens.

In a tense semifinal match, in 3 hours and 18 minutes, she defeated the Greek Maria Sakkari with a score of 7: 5, 4: 6, 9: 7.