Enlarge image
Iga Swiatek struggled with thigh problems
Photo: Javier Garcia / BPI / Shutterstock / imago images / Shutterstock
Defending champion Iga Swiatek cannot repeat her previous year's coup at the French Open.
The 20-year-old Polish lost 4: 6, 4: 6 against the 25-year-old Greek Maria Sakkari in Paris.
Sakkari converted her second match point after 1:35 hours.
There will be a new Grand Slam winner - none of the four remaining players had previously reached a semi-finals.
Swiatek, who had previously won 22 sets in a row in Paris, took a "medical timeout" when the score was 2-0 in the second set, apparently with thigh problems.
Favorite women die in Paris
»Sakkattack«, as Sakkari calls himself in the social networks, is now fighting on Thursday against the Czech Barbora Krejčíková for participation in the final, which will take place on Saturday (3 pm, TV: Eurosport, Servus TV).
Tamara Zidansek from Slovenia and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova from Russia will contest the second semifinals.
Krejčíková surprisingly defeated the eight years younger young talent Cori Gauff, who like Swiatek had not lost a set in the tournament until the quarter-finals.
ngo / dpa