Chwalinska eyes French Open title after breakthrough run to final

PARIS: Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska will try to become only the second qualifier in the professional era to win a Grand Slam singles title when she takes on Mirra Andreeva in the French Open final on Saturday.

Chwalinska, 24, has put together a remarkable run at Roland Garros, winning nine matches in a row over three weeks including qualifying. Backed by large numbers of Polish supporters in her semi-final victory over Diana Shnaider, she has surged into the title match despite arriving in Paris ranked world number 114.

She said the scale of her rise had been difficult to take in.

""Let's not pretend someone expected it," admitted Chwalinska. "I mean, I was outside (the) top 100, and now I'm in the finals of a Grand Slam, so I feel like it's a big thing. So it's hard to process it, I guess.""

Chwalinska is attempting to follow Emma Raducanu, identified as the only man or woman in the Open era to win a Grand Slam singles tournament as a qualifier. Her performances in Paris have included straight-set wins over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and Elise Mertens in the opening two rounds, with the second set in both matches ending 6-0. The only set she has dropped during her three weeks at Roland Garros came against Maria Sakkari in the last 32.

Her campaign has continued to gather momentum, culminating in a semi-final win over Shnaider, who had earlier knocked out Aryna Sabalenka. By reaching the final, Chwalinska is guaranteed to climb to at least 21st in the WTA rankings, a rise that will secure her entry into the biggest tournaments on the circuit.

The turnaround has also brought a major financial reward. A year ago, Chwalinska was following the French Open while competing in lower-level events in Brescia and Bari in Italy after losing in the second round of qualifying in Paris. Now, she has already more than doubled her previous career prize money total of $864,030. The runner-up will receive 1.4 million euros ($1.63 million), while the champion will collect 2.8 million euros ($3.26 million).

She said she had not yet received any prize money during the tournament and that a Polish company had helped cover her hotel costs for the extended stay in Paris.

""For now, I'm playing, so I'm very grateful for the Osheecompany to help me to cover my hotel expenses these three weeks now," said Chwalinska. "But other than that, no, I'm just focusing on tennis, and the rest I guess will come after the tournament.""

Andreeva sticks to her routine

While Chwalinska's progress has been the surprise story of the tournament, Andreeva's place in the final has come with fewer shocks. The 19-year-old Russian is seeking her first Grand Slam crown and goes into the match after already collecting five WTA titles, including two at 1000-level events.

Andreeva has moved through the draw with little trouble. She lost the first set to Marina Bassols Ribera in the second round but then conceded only two games across the next two sets. In her other five matches, she has won in straight sets and has allowed an opponent as many as four games in a set only once.

She said she would not alter her preparation for the final.

""It's important to do whatever I have been doing, no matter what stage of the tournament," she said. "We're just going to stick to the routine: practising before the match, playing Uno, talk about the match, warm-up, tape, and then go on the court. Nothing's going to change.""

Even so, Andreeva said she was wary of the challenge from Chwalinska, who is also appearing in her first Grand Slam final.

""She's been playing amazing these two weeks. Like three weeks for her," said Andreeva. "It's going to be a new match for both of us. I don't really know how she plays. I don't really know her game style.""