From qualifying to the final, Maja Chwalinska’s remarkable Roland-Garros run
When Maja Chwalinska arrived at Roland-Garros, her first goal was simply to get out of qualifying. Three weeks later, the Pole is about to play in a Grand Slam final. It was a script nobody really saw coming when the draw was made.
Ranked 114th in the world before the tournament, the 24-year-old kept her dream run alive on Thursday by downing Diana Shnaider in a hard-fought, high-quality semifinal. A straight-sets win put her into the biggest match of her career.
A style of tennis unlike anything else on the tour right now
Against Shnaider, who had knocked out Aryna Sabalenka in the previous round, Chwalinska never tried to go toe to toe in a power battle. She just played her game. The sort that scrambles minds, drags opponents out of rhythm and rips up the usual patterns. From the opening games, the Pole imposed her own terms. A high ball to push her opponent back. A drop shot to bring her forward. A change of direction on the next rally. Then the kind of stubborn defence that turns lost points into fresh chances.
The opening set looked like it could swing either way for most of the hour. Chwalinska moved ahead, Shnaider hit back, and then the pair found themselves in a tiebreak. That was where the Pole produced her best spell of the match. A winning drop shot, a volley dropped just over the net, a forehand down the line. Every point told a different story. In the end, it was a backhand error from the Russian that gave her the set after more than an hour of battle.
The second set was scrappier. Chwalinska started well before hitting a rough patch. A medical timeout even stopped her momentum as the rallies became more and more physically demanding. But nothing really changed the shape of the match. Shnaider tried to wrest back control, yet she could not build any lasting pressure. Chwalinska kept wearing her down, point by point, rally by rally.
At 4-4, the turning point arrived. A perfectly managed game, a couple of classy touches at the net, and then the break that sent Court Philippe-Chatrier her way. Minutes later, with the crowd firmly behind her, Chwalinska served for a place in the final. On one final forehand pass down the line, she threw her arms in the air before the scale of what she had just done sank in.
Try it for $0.99.
A final nobody saw coming
What stands out here is not just the qualification. It’s how quickly Chwalinska has gone up a level. Before this fortnight, her best Grand Slam result was a second-round run at Wimbledon several years ago. Since then, she has dealt with injuries, long spells out of sight and tournaments away from the spotlight.
In Paris, everything changed. Match by match, she has pieced together one of the finest runs of the tournament. On Saturday, she will face Mirra Andreeva with a chance to finish off an already extraordinary ride. Only a few weeks ago, Maja Chwalinska was fighting just to make the main draw. Now she will play for the trophy.
Discover more tennis news on our mathodds website and app!
[mathodds_app_cta]
Leave a Reply