2026 French Open Women's SF: Shnaider vs. Chwalinska

[britbox]

Who wins?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Shnaider (25) vs Chwalinska Q Shnaider leads their H2H 1-0

A semi final that was highly unlikely, Shnaider enters the match off her biggest win of her career upsetting World No 1 Sabalenka
Shnaider down 4-1 in tbe 2nd set, was a game away from losing in straight sets, but won the last 10 games to defeat Sabalenka 36 75 60
Shnaider absorb the pace of Sabalenka all match, she has a compact fhand that she uses well, moves well and handled the windy conditions much better than Sabalenka.

Chwalinska's fairy tale continues upsetting Kalinskaya world No 22 to book her places in the semi finals.She is the sixth qualifier in the Open Era to reach the SFs at a Grand Slam and the second at Roland Garros, Her crafty game employs a mixture of high balls, slices and has been tricky for her opponents to solve.I loved the way she stuck to her game plan against Kalinskaya, even when down a break, she held her composure and broke back.

Both these players deserve their spot in the semi final and a chance to play in the final.

Good luck to both players!

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

I have a weird feeling that the qualifier is going to win this one.

 

[AnonymousFan]

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Seeing I had to go out last night missing both ladies SF
I have just watched the highlights

Wow Wow Wow......the fairy tale continues for Maja............I picked against her, I thought Diana would be too tough

Well done you deserve your place in the final

I cant wait to do the match call

Thanks AF!

 

[britbox]

Match Highlights

 

[britbox]

Schnaider Press Conference



LeoAI Summary

• Match Reflection: Diana expressed pride in her performance and the fight she showed over a grueling two-hour match, acknowledging that Chwalinska played "unreal" and deserved the win to reach the final.
• Opponent Analysis: She highlighted Chwalinska's incredible movement and court coverage, noting that the Polish player's ability to return almost any ball forces opponents to restart points from scratch. Diana praised Chwalinska's variety, including heavy spin from her lefty forehand, low slices, effective drop shots, and strong net play, which she feels suits the clay perfectly.
• Lack of Pre-Match Intel: Diana revealed there was almost no video footage of Chwalinska playing against a lefty, making it difficult to prepare tactics beforehand. She noted that while Chwalinska was ranked outside the top 100, her recent victories over top players proved she was on a massive run of form and confidence.
• Clay Court Sentiment: Diana admitted she initially preferred the lower bounce of the Rome courts over the high bounce in Paris, but her friend Mirra Andreeva correctly predicted she would do well in Paris despite her complaints.
• Areas for Improvement: In discussing what could have been done differently, Diana realized she needed to be braver and more aggressive by coming to the net more often to finish points, rather than just attacking from the baseline where Chwalinska could easily counter.
• Advice for the Final: When asked what she would tell her friend Mirra (who is facing Chwalinska in the final), Diana suggested that Mirra needs to utilize her huge serve and consistently come to the net, a strategy she has been executing well recently, to counter Chwalinska's defensive skills.