Highlights: Pavlyuchenkova advances to first career Major semi-final

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has defeated Elena Rybakina 6-7(2), 6-2, 9-7 in the quarterfinals of the French Open on Tuesday. It was the first career meeting between the two, as Pavlyuchenkova will be headed to her first career Grand Slam semi-final. Here are the highlights from the match.

Pavlyuchenkova has made the quarterfinals at least once in all four of the Grand Slams in her 13 years on the WTA tour, yet has never made the semi-finals of a Major until Tuesday’s victory against Rybakina. The last time she made the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, it was all the way back in 2011.

The first set was tight, as both players could only break each other’s serve once. Pavlyuchenkova had seven opportunities to break in the set, but Rybakina did a good job of holding her to just the one break. Both players were pretty much even in terms of points won on the serve, as Rybakina was just ahead on first serve points, while Pavlyuchenkova was just ahead on the second serve.

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The set would have to be decided by a tiebreak, and that was when Rybakina distanced herself from Pavlyuchenkova, winning the first four points, which included two of the 22 winners she had in the set. Rybakina would not look back, taking the tiebreak 7-2 and grabbing a one set to love lead.

The second set was all Pavlyuchenkova, as she held serve with ease, winning 80% of points on both her first and second serve, according to Infosys Match Centre. Rybakina did not have a single look at a break point, and was broken twice as Pavlyuchenkova bounced back to take the second set 6-2 to force a deciding third.

In the third, both players broke each other twice early in the set, and then after that second Pavlyuchenkova break to get back on serve at 3-3, they would both hold serve until Pavlyuchenkova led 8-7. Pavlyuchenkova was in every Rybakina service game, but Rybakina was always fighting back from down 0-15 or 0-30. In the 16th game of the set though, Pavlyuchenkova had her one opportunity, with a match point at 30-40. She would not even have to make the return, as Rybakina double faulted to hand the victory to Pavlyuchenkova, and the second spot in the semi-finals.

Next up for Pavlyuchenkova will be Tamara Zidansek, who defeated Paula Badosa earlier Tuesday in three sets.