Second semifinal, Krejcikova 1-2 Sakkari: And we still don’t have our first service hold of the match. Sakkari breaks again. This is a very nervy start to the match, lots of unforced errors by both players who seem to be playing at the moment. Who’ll blink first?

Second semifinal, Krejcikova 1-1 Sakkari: BREAK BACK! Sakkari fails to consolidate the break and sends a forehand long to hand the break right back to Krejcikova. A shaky start by both player. Nerves at play.

Second semifinal, Krejcikova 0-1 Sakkari: First game and first break of serve! Strong start for Sakkari as she finds depth in her groundstrokes and benefits from a couple of errors by Krejcikova.

8.48 pm: We’re ready for play! Krejcikova to serve first. Here we go!

Maria Sakkari has won the toss and elected to receive.

8.42 pm: The players are out on the court! There will be a brief warmup now before play begins.

Maria Sakkari (GRE x17) v Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)

Paths to the semi-final (x indicates seeded player):

Sakkari

1st rd: bt Katarina Zavatska (UKR) 6-4, 6-1

2nd rd: bt Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-2, 6-3

3rd rd: bt Elise Mertens (BEL x14) 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2

4th rd: bt Sofia Kenin (USA x4) 6-1, 6-3

QF: bt Iga Swiatek (POL x8) 6-4, 6-4

Krejcikova

1st rd: bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

2nd rd: bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS x32) 6-2, 6-3

3rd rd: bt Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) 6-3, 6-2

4th rd: bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-2, 6-0

QF: bt Coco Gauff (USA x24) 7-6 (8/6), 6-3

Head-to-head: Krejcikova leads 1-0

8.30 pm: We’re not far away from the second women’s singles semi-final now between Maria Sakkari and Barbora Krejcikova.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-3 Zidansek: ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA WINS!

What a moment. What a journey. A match point exchange that sums up the match. Zidansek doing all the heavylifting, Pavlyuchenkova hung in there with her defence and then the Slovenian sends the backhand long. Terrific moment. In 2011 she reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time but never managed since to go beyond that stage. And now here she is!

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 5*-3 Zidansek: BREAK OF SERVE! A fist pump by AP as she breaks Zidansek’s serve again, and now she will serve for a place in the final.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 4-3 Zidansek: And we are back on serve! Zidansek puts early pressure on AP’s serve to go up 0-30 but the Russian nails a superb forehand winner. But the Slovenian simply persists with the pressure, and AP hits a double fault on break point, her second of the game. Commentators reckoned the Russian became tighter there with the finish line in sight.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 4-2 Zidansek: Well that’s one way to say this is not over yet. Zidansek comes up with a service hold at love. There is still life in this.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 4-1 Zidansek: Pavyluchenkova driving home the advantage now. A quick service hold to 15.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 3*-1 Zidansek: AP showing her experience again, injecting pace into her shots at the big points and forcing errors. This is such a tactical display by the Russian. The stats will show Unforced Errors for Zidansek, but Pavlyuchenkova made her commit. Breaks again.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 2-1 Zidansek: And Zidansek breaks back! Clutch from the youngster. A short game too, she went hard and breaks AP to 15 to bring the second set back on serve. Not going away without a fight, the Slovenian.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 2-0 Zidansek: Pavlyuchenkova is a set and break up! After a 5-minute service hold, she pushes Zidansek all the way on her serve and converts the second break point chance. Nearly 13 minutes for the first two games combined! Once again, the Russian doing exceptionally well on big points, knowing when to pounce. Solid tennis.

Zenia D’Cunha: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the most experienced of the four, holds her nerve after being broken in the first game and while serving for it, to take the edgy first set. 52 minutes on the clock tells you something.

FIRST SET STATS: Correction, it was Zidansek’s second double fault.

Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 Zidansek: A set where the Slovenian had better stats but the Russian’s experience came to the fore.

Winners: 7-17

Unforced errors: 11-19

First serve %: 71-78%

Break points: 3/6 - 2/7

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 Zidansek: Not a good time for the serve to desert you! Zidansek is put under pressure and what a disastrous moment to register your first double fault, when down set points. At 15-40, the pressure proves a bit much for Zidansek and Pavlyuchenkova plays a steady game to clinch the first set.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 6-5 Zidansek: AP was in trouble but she hangs on! Down 15-40 on her serve, she fights back. Another nearly 6-minute long game on her serve. It’s been ebbing and flowing, this set but Zidansek might rue these break points missed. She is 2 out of 7 now.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 5-5 Zidansek: The Slovenian has a superb first serve % of just over 80 at the moment and has hit twice the winners as AP. She holds again to make it 5-5.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 5-4 Zidansek: BACK ON SERVE! Brilliant from Zidansek to recover from that costly break of serve. She needed a third break point chance in that game, but shows great character to break back with the set on the line. Lovely court coverage on display.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 5-3 Zidansek: AP on the charge! After a solid hold of her serve, it seemed Zidansek will have one of her own as she raced to a 40-0 lead. But a few rash moments from there and the Russian breaks serve out of nowhere. She will now serve for the first set.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 3-3 Zidansek: Identical service holds from both players. First AP holds to 15 and then Zidansek follows that up with the same. Good from the Slovenian, because it just started to look like the Russian veteran was starting to get into solid momentum.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 2-2 Zidansek: Confidence boosting service hold for Pavlyuchenkova (We shall go with AP for her from here) as well. She holds at love. And then has three break points in the next game. Zidansek saves one with a searing winner, saves another two with errors from the Russian for deuce. AP then converts the fourth break point chance. Back on level terms.

First semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova 0-2 Zidansek: Well, well. The Slovenian youngster gets going with a break of serve to kickstart proceedings. She converts the second break point in a nearly 6-minute game to start off. And then comes up with a nerveless service hold to love. Quite the start!

We are underway in Paris. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Tamara Zidansek , with the former serving first.

Paths to the semi-final (x indicates seeded player):

Pavlyuchenkova

1st rd: bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-4, 6-0

2nd rd: bt Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-2, 6-3

3rd rd: bt Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x3) 6-4, 2-6, 6-0

4th rd: bt Victoria Azarenka (BLR x15) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2

QF: bt Elena Rybakina (KAZ x21) 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 9-7    

Zidansek

1st rd: bt Bianca Andreescu (CAN x6) 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (7/2), 9-7

2nd rd: bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-4, 6-1

3rd rd: bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 0-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2

4th rd: bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1

QF: bt Paula Badosa (ESP x33) 7-5, 4-6, 8-6

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the women’s singles semi-finals at the 2021 French Open.

Maria Sakkari, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Barbora Krejcikova and Tamara Zidansek are the final four in action. Would you have picked that lineup at the start of the tournament? For just the second time in the Open era, there are four first-time major semi-finalists in the women’s singles, after the 1978 Australian Open.

First up: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x31) v Tamara Zidansek (SLO)