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French Open 2026 quarter-finals: Svitolina v Kostyuk; Andreeva swats Cirstea aside – live | French Open 2026
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And she unloads immediately, making 15-30, then hauling a backhand cross-court and on to the sideline, raising two break points. I like the loop she’s getting on her forehand, which is pushing Svitolina back, and when the defensive lob comes, she confidently spanks her overhead into the corner – as her opponent could not – to lead 2-0.
Behind in the first rally, Kostyuk tries a lob, not an especially good one … and Svitolina flaps her overhead long. A service winner follows, then a return hooked wide, and when the younger woman reads an attempted putaway, she’s able to direct a forehand winner cross-court to secure the love hold. That’s an impressive start for a player playing the most important match of her career, and I’d expect her to attack Svitolina’s serve and see how she reacts to the pressure.
Kostyuk will serve, ready … play.
Svitolina and Kostyuk are out, competing to become the first Ukrainian to reach the last four of this competition. Both of them are in terrific nick, Kostyuk with the bigger game and the higher ceiling, but for the same reason, the lower floor, while Svitolina has experience and equilibrium on her side. Now that you ask, I’m leaning Kostyuk, but Chrissy has gone Svito; I’ll leave it to you to decide which of the two of us knows more about tennis.
I especially enjoyed the cleanliness of Andreeva’s hitting – her timing today was beautiful, a facility of her confidence. She committed to her aggression from the first ball, but the question now is how that works against someone able to do likewise or turn it against her.
Coming up next: Elina Svitolina (7) v Marta Kostyuk (15).
Andreeva says it’s always tough against Cirstea – last time they played and also when they practise, as they’ve done a fair bit. She knew the match wouldn’t be easy and would take all her focus and intensity, against an opponent who’d look to be aggressive and pressure her whenever she could, so she’s glad she was able to get in first.
Fabrice tells her the first time he saw her play, aged 16, and he was very impressed with her understanding of the game, and she explains that she never learnt how to play, she was just always excited to be on court. She assumed everyone read the game and didn’t think the way she did it was anything special, she just always knew which decision to make, though sometimes when she’s nervous they’re not always good; today, though, everything was on point.
Asked why she thanks herself when she wins titles, she laughs that originally it was something she’d heard Snoop Dogg say when receiving an award, that she pinched as a gag, but now she thinks about it, she knows it’s true – you need to thank yourself for the work you do and sacrifices you make so she wants to tell herself every time.
Ultimately, if you can’t outhit Andreeva, you’ve got a very big problem, and Cirstea could not. Even so, the performance was close to perfect and felt like a step forward, destroying a wily, confident veteran with apparent ease; she’s growing in front of our eyes, the question now whether she can dominate against other members of the elite. I can’t wait to find out, and here she is…
Mirra Andreeva (8) beats Sorana Cirstea (18) 6-0 6-3
A majestic, mature performance from Andreeva, locked-in from the start and ruthless to the end, a forehand winner to the corner securing the win. She’s into her second grand slam semi and will face the winner of our next match between Svitolina and Kostyuk.
Cirstea knows the jig is bust, going for everything because what else can she do. But an error hands over 15-30 and a backhand winner down the line raises two match points.
Sure enough, Andreeva breaks to 15, and she’s enjoying herself out there. Her backhand, in particular, is a delightful shot, but it’s her footwork and ability to change pace and direction with her shots that makes her special; her tennis IQ has been there, more or less, since the start – it’s just about building the strength and experience to go with it. She breaks, consolidates, and at 6-0 5-3 is now a game away, Cirstea doing all she can, but powerless against the onslaught.
Cirstea, though, isn’t going away, making 0-30, then at 15-30 Andreeva comes in and stretches for a putaway, sending it wide. And though she saves the first break point with a backhand winner, she then nets a forehand and that’s the break back for 0-6 3-3. In comms, Chrissy points out that a dip was always likely because it’s not possible to play as well as Andreeva was for an entire match, and that’s true – though, at the same time, it’s impossible not to think about how ridiculously Sabalenka performed last evening, against a far superior opponent, and wonder if that’s what it’ll take to challenge the world no 1.
Andreeva’s ability to explode from the off is extremely impressive, a statement that tells Cirstea – and the rest of the field – that she’s ready, the serious stuff beginning now. Only the best can do that, cycling through the gears at will, and she holds easily then, from 15-all, plays a gorgeous half-volley that has Conchita Martinez, her coach, almost eating her own face in delighted smiles, then two definitive groundstrokes secure the break as if she’d simply decided it was time. This is very impressive behaviour, perhaps the most commanding i’ve ever seen her at this stage of a slam, and she leads 6-0 3-2.
If Cirstea can keep holding, the set’ll come down to a few points here and there, but up 40-15 she invites pressure by going long on the forehand … then closes out the game with a serve out wide and clean-up swing-volley. Andreeva leads 6-0 1-2.
This is, of course, a sad day for all ADHD-types – no longer can our eyes dart around three or four screens, various matches compartmentalised into various parts of brain, while merging into one in another. But what an opportunity to hyper-focus and fully immerse into what we hope will be a succession of epics … in which regard Cirstea has closed from 40-0 to 40-30 with the help of a lovely backhand winner and a double, then Andreeva goes long and do we got ourselves a ball-game? Er, well a forehand winner is followed by an ace – the umpire has to check the mark as both players thought it was wide – and we’re level at 1-1 in set two.
Ah, and Cirstea is on the board, a hold sparing her the embarrassment of a double bagel. But can she compete?
In the time since play started, Andreeva has imposed herself, a bagel set putting her in complete control; the roof is closed.
Preamble
Salut à tous et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 2026 – dixième jour!
On the one hand, we’ve only three singles matches in this session … and on the other, just look at them!
We saw Mirra Andreeva coming a mile off, a talent so luminous so young and technique so pretty, it was hard to believe she was only 15 … except she looked and acted like she was only 15, a cheeky, impetuous sprite with very obvious flaws. Now a venerable 19, the obvious flaws remain – we are who we are – and also, she’s much better at working with them – we create ourselves afresh every day. But is she ready to win a grand slam?
Her defensive inclination, the consequence of power yet to fully develop, is unlikely to undermine her against Sorana Cirstea, a veteran of composure and nous, but the matchup is no gimme. “There is no expiration date for ambition and for dreams,” Cirstea said after her fourth-round win, evidence of a burgeoning sense of mission – understandably so, given she’d just set a record for the longest gap between a player’s first two quarter-finals at a women’s singles major in the open era. We can be almost certain she won’t shrink, and if she can take away what Andreeva does best, denying her width, angle and backhands, she has a chance.
Following them on to court is a Ukrainian derby of affirming excitement. Elina Svitolina is a wonder of womanhood, taking time off to have a baby and returning an entirely different player: stronger, fresher and attacking her shots with the conviction of equilibrium. She knows she represents something bigger than herself – her family and her people – using emotion to elevate, and bringing the crowds with her.
Marta Kostyuk’s story is not dissimilar. The night before her round one match, a Russian bomb hit close to her family home and, like Svitolina, it’s taken her a while to find her identity as a player, struggling to assimilate her vast toolbox into the maelstrom of moments and the stress of elite sport. But she’s there now, unbeaten through the clay-court swing having won 15 matches in a row, her power, agility and brain synchronised into the very model of a modern major tenniser. She’s ready to win today and, for the first time, she’s ready to contest a semi-final and final.
We complete our day-sesh with le bangeur of a men’s match. After his undressing by Jannik Sinner in last year’s Aussie Open final, Alexander Zverev – the best player never to win a grand slam – clearly thought his time had gone and rightly so. But the absence of Carlos Alcaraz along with the exits of Sinner and Novak Djokovic mean he is now the overwhelming favourite, the chance of lifetime – one he surely thought he’d never get – bringing with it overwhelming pressure.
And Rafael Jodar will only compound that, the soaring 19-year-old unknown a year ago and now a serious force in the game – especially on clay. His forehand is terrifying and line backhand nasty, but even more apparent is his temperament: to get here, he’s won two five-setters in a row, riding the fluctuations and undulations with maturity and joy. We don’t know what he’s got left; we do know we’ll see absolutely all of it.
All of which is a long-winded way of saying we’re in for an absolute treat. Chauette! On y va!
The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.
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In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.
Kyle Green gets in touch: “Your highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can’t.
“I’m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. “
News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.
“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.
“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”
Alex Reid has penned today’s weekend special Football Daily.
Portugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Martínez against Fabio Cannavaro, who’s won a Ballon d’Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel – in his first international job with England – taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.
The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.
The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.
An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.
In a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Nazário at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about – coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.
For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup. He had this to say:
“He could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.
“Roberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.”
Saturday’s match reports here.
The Saudi Arabia coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: “Spain is not the same team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.
“While they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are missing. I’m not saying it’s a problem for Spain, but when those players are missing, they play in a different way. We saw this very clearly against Cape Verde.
“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it’s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you should enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.
“It is very hard for any team playing against Spain to have any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.
“It’s nice to see miracles in football, and we’ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. Of course, it’s great for Saudi football to have a great memory of the result against Argentina, but we aren’t drawing anything from that.
“I think we’ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.”
The Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It’s going to be a completely different story,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”
Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.
The teams – Lamine Yamal starts
Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.
Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.
Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?
Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.
Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat
The public screening of Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.
The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Colón in central Madrid.
Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning – the second-highest level – for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.
“The decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,” Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.
Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.
Large parts of Spain are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.
A total of 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.
Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP
Can Saudi Arabia repeat the magic of 2022?
Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.
Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe’s best this season.
“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,” Raya says. “I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”
A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.
“If we had scored one, the game would have changed,” Martín Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn’t want to go in it doesn’t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match. “There’s nothing to reproach the team for,” Rodri said. “We generated chances but couldn’t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.”
We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.
The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.
Preamble
Spain’s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde’s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.
Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.
A topless man can be seen driving erratically in Edinburgh before abandoning his car and attacking a black man and a delivery rider.
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