History made: Four French boys reach semi-finals at Roland Garros
Optimism trumps pessimism.
After all the local discontent following the absence of any home-grown players in the second week of the main draw in Paris, the youngsters – as ever – have provided a timely dose of cheer and hope.
For the first time in history, there are four French boys in the semi-finals of the junior event at Roland Garros.
Arthur Fils, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Luca Van Assche and Sean Cuenin all won in straight sets on Thursday to guarantee a French champion in the boys’ event in Paris for only the second time since Gael Monfils lifted the junior crown 17 years ago.
It is the first time since 2002 (when Richard Gasquet trumped Laurent Recouderc) that Roland Garros will see an all-French boys' final, and guarantees that one of the four will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Henri Leconte, Fabrice Santoro, Monfils and Gasquet as the 14th home-grown player to win the boys’ title in Paris since the first event in 1947.
“Unbelievable,” said Fils, the first player through to the last four on Thursday, of their achievement. “Four French in the semi-final of the French Open – never see that in my life. Unbelievable.”
Sixteen-year-old Fils, who garnered attention ahead of the junior event by beating Bernard Tomic in the first round of qualifying for the men's event, defeated Spaniard Daniel Rincon 6-2 6-3 in the opening boys' match of the day, before he and Mpetshi Perricard teamed up to reach the semi-finals of the boys’ doubles event.
The two, who overcame American duo Samir Banerjee and Ozan Colak in their quarter-final, will have to put their close friendship aside when they go head-to-head for a place in the boys’ singles final on Friday.
“I knew maybe I’d play against Arthur in the semis, but I wasn’t focussed about that,” admitted Mpetshi Perricard, a 6-2 6-1 winner over Ukrainian Viacheslav Bielinskyi. “For now, it’s amazing, but tomorrow I will be more focussed on my game.”
With Cuenin overcoming top-seed Juncheng Shang 6-4 7-5 and Van Assche proving similarly steely in a 7-6(8) 6-4 win over Daniel Merida Aguilar, the likely identity of the first French boys’ winner in Paris since Geoffrey Blancaneaux in 2016 is still anyone’s guess.
“It’s really difficult to put a name on a favourite because we’re all playing really good,” said Fils, who believes that, whatever happens over the next couple of days, France has much to look forward to from its emerging prospects.
“A big generation is coming,” he said. “[Players born in] 2002, 2003, 2004… we are all playing really good in France. In boys, we can all be in the top 100 in two, three years.”
The girls' event also saw its fair share of surprises - and a similar level of dominance from one nation.
Russian players claimed three of the four available spots in the semi-finals - the first time in history that three Russian players have reached the last four in the girls' singles at Roland Garros - and top seed Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva and third seed Polina Kudermetova tumbled out of the draw.
Fifteen-year-old Jimenez Kasintseva fell to Czech doubles partner Linda Noskova in a tight three-set battle, though the Andorran bounced back on the doubles court as the pair eased through to the semi-finals for the loss of just one game.
Erika Andreeva ousted Kudermetova 6-4 1-6 6-1 in a topsy-turvey battle, Diana Shnaider defeated American Robin Montgomery 6-3 6-1 and Oksana Selekhmeteva beat German Mara Guth 6-3 6-1 to ensure three Russian girls reached the last four at a junior major for the first time since 2002 Wimbledon.
The three are each vying to become the first Russian girls' champion at Roland Garros since Daria Kasatkina in 2014.