Nadia Podoroska becomes first female qualifier to reach semifinals of the French Open

Nadia Podoroska of Argentina made tennis history on Tuesday by becoming the first qualifier to ever reach the semifinals of the French Open according to the Associated Press. In the quarterfinals, Podoroska defeated the third seed, Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4.

Podoroska, who is 23 years of age, is ranked 131st in the world. But somehow, and some way she has got to the semifinals. Podoroska was in the same quarter of the draw as Serena Williams, Svitolina, Venus Williams, Kristen Flipkens, Tsvetana Pironkova, Andrea Petkovic, Victoria Azarenka and Elise Mertens. All eight of the aforementioned players have reached the semifinals of a major before.

Podroroska was the first French Open semifinalist to reach the semifinals as a qualifier since Filip DeWulf of Belgium lost to Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 in the semifinals of the 1997 French Open. That year three unseeded players made the semifinals. In addition to DeWulf, Kuerten and Patrick Rafter of Australia were also unseeded.

The mere fact Podoroska is in the semifinals is even more stunning when you consider the fact she had only played one match of major tennis in the past. That came four years ago when she was beaten in the first round of the 2016 U.S. Open by Annika Beck of Germany, 7-6, 6-3.

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Now Podoroska will play another unseeded player in the semifinals in 19-year-old phenom Iga Swiatek of Poland. It was a phenomenal day in Argentinian tennis on Tuesday as Diego Schwartzman beat Dominic Thiem of Austria 7-6, 5-7, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 in a men’s quarterfinal match. What made Schwartzman’s match remarkable is that it lasted over five hours and Schwartzman only had one ace.

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