Andreeva, 17, aims to stop 'another level' Sabalenka

 

Aryna Sabalenka is aiming to extend her unbeaten run in Grand Slams in 2024 with Wednesday's French Open quarter-final opponent Mirra Andreeva admitting the Belarusian is on "another level".

Having won the Australian Open earlier this year, 26-year-old Sabalenka’s Slam record this year reads 11-0, and she has not lost a set across those 11 matches.

She has now dropped only 18 games in four matches at Roland Garros and moved into the last eight with a 6-2 6-3 win over Emma Navarro.

World number two Sabalenka, who has made the semi-finals or better in her last six Slam appearances, including titles at the past two Australian Opens, said: "I'm super happy that I was able to bring this consistency on the Grand Slams.

"It's motivating me a lot to keep pushing myself and to see where the limit is."

Russian Andreeva, 17, ended French hopes for another year with a 7-5 6-2 win over Varvara Gracheva.

Andreeva is set to move into the top 30 of the world rankings for the first time after reaching her first Slam quarter-final.

It continues a fantastic 12 months as she reached the last 16 at Wimbledon last summer and then thrashed three-time Slam finalist Ons Jabeur on her way to round four at the Australian Open earlier this year.

However, Andreeva has been comfortably beaten in her two matches with Sabalenka, losing 6-3 6-1 in the last 16 of the Madrid Open in May 2022 and then 6-1 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the same event 12 months later.

"Of course we will add a few adjustments," said Andreeva. "We will change something, because the way I played last two times didn't work.

"She's really experienced. She's a player of another level, so I have to be prepared from the beginning. I hope my coach will help me with that and we'll see how it goes."

Sabalenka is the second seed and the top four seeds could all move into the semi-finals, with Poland's top seed Iga Swiatek set to play American third seed Coco Gauff in their last-four tie.

Kazakhstan's fourth seed Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, plays her quarter-final on Wednesday against Italian 12th seed Jasmine Paolini, who is enjoying her best run at a Slam.

Paolini came from a set down to beat unseeded Russian Elina Avanesyan 4-6 6-0 6-1 in the last 16.