SHARAPOVA INTO SEMI-FINAL OF THE ROLAND GARROS 2014

Eugenie Bouchard is through to her second straight Grand Slam semi-final after rallying from 1-4 down in the decider to beat Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro on Suzanne Lenglen Court. 

 The 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-5 victory was the 20-year-old’s 10th straight win on clay having collected her first title at Nurnberg last week and follows her surprise run to the Australian Open semi-finals in January, where she fell to eventual champion Li Na. The 2012 champion, Maria Sharapova, is next. It will be a big step up. Showing the fearlessness of youth, the 18th seed produced her best when down against Suarez Navarro. The Spaniard served for the opening set at 5-2, but the mental fragility that has at times stunted the gifted player with that sublime single-handed backhand began to creep in. Bouchard could sense her opponent was tightening up, and pounced. Continuing to go full throttle for her shots, the Canadian broke for 3-5 before Suarez Navarro would get a second crack at serving it out. Bouchard strung a backhand winner down the line and a backhand drop shot to again have the diminutive Spaniard in trouble. She would bring up a third break point for the game with an off-forehand winner at net before forcing Suarez Navarro into a backhand error to level at 5-5. Desperate to stem the swing in momentum, Suarez Navarro snapped her opponent’s run of eight straight points to force the tiebreak. When the 14th seed – who reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals on debut as a qualifier back in 2008 - pushed a forehand wide at 4-5 she handed the Canadian set points. Bouchard would take it on the first, forcing the Spaniard into error on the stretch to complete the unlikely comeback. Down a set and a break in the second, Suarez Navarro upped her aggression, finding the form which carried her to a maiden title in Oerias, Portgual, earlier in the season, a win which broke a horror stretch of losing her first five finals. Charging the net to change things up, she would break to love, whipping a forehand winner for 1-1. Suarez Navarro again surged to 5-2, but unlike the first set would not have to serve it out, steadying to drag Bouchard wide before whipping the swinging forehand volley to break for the set 6-2. Trading breaks of serve to open the decider, it was Suarez Navarro who would consolidate first, taking four games on the trot for 4-1. From here, the nerves began to creep in once more and again Bouchard was ready to take the initiative. She would take 10 points in a row with a backhand winner on the run drawing games back level to 4-4 and with the Spaniard serving to stay in the match at 6-5, it was clear she was losing the mental edge.