Alexander Zverev Powers Into First French Open Semi-Final

Alexander Zverev eased into his first French Open semi-final with on Tuesday a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win over Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at the 52nd attempt on Tuesday and will be favoured to make the French Open final when she takes on world number 85 Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia. Pavlyuchenkova, the world number 32, beat doubles partner Elena Rybakina 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 9-7 in her first quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros since 2011. "There are so many emotions to reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time," said 29-year-old Pavlyuchenkova who had fallen at the quarter-final stage at the majors on six previous occasions since her 2007 debut. "I always had the tennis. Mentally I'm probably more solid now. Just trying to play smarter tennis. I'm working harder." Rybakina dumped out Serena Williams in the previous round and raced into a 4-1 lead in the opener. Pavlyuchenkova broke back in the seventh game before the 6ft (1.84m) Russian-born Kazakh dominated the tiebreak. The Russian levelled the tie courtesy of breaks in the sixth and eighth games of the second set.