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NEW DELHI: Aryna Sabalenka’s dream of winning her first French Open title ended in dramatic fashion as the world No. 1 suffered a stunning quarterfinal defeat after throwing away a commanding lead.Sabalenka looked firmly in control against Diana Shnaider, winning the first set and moving 4-1 ahead in the second. She was also just two points away from victory while serving for the match. However, the Belarusian completely lost her rhythm as Shnaider mounted a remarkable comeback to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 and reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal. The defeat left Sabalenka visibly devastated and questioning her mindset after another major collapse on the biggest stage.“Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.”Watch:The match echoed Sabalenka’s painful French Open final loss to Coco Gauff last year, where she also won the opening set before unforced errors derailed her challenge. Against Shnaider, frustration grew as mistakes piled up and she lost 12 of the final 13 games.“You know those rooms where you just go in and you smash everything,” Sabalenka said. “Probably I will spend a whole day tomorrow over there destroying stuff. Maybe it will help, maybe not.”Reflecting on the defeat, she added: “I just think it’s combination of everything. You overthink, then you make easy mistakes, then you miss opportunities.”Shnaider admitted she noticed her opponent’s emotions during the match but stayed focused on her own game.“Of course I saw some moments of her frustration,” Shnaider said. “I know Aryna, that she’s a very emotional person.”Shnaider will now face unseeded Maja Chwalinska, who continued her fairytale run by defeating Anna Kalinskaya. Chwalinska has become only the second Polish woman after Iga Swiatek to reach the Roland Garros semifinals.The tournament has produced several major upsets, with defending champion Coco Gauff, four-time winner Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic all eliminated. According to Opta, it is the first Grand Slam since the 1977 French Open without a former champion in either the men’s or women’s semifinals.
