Loïs Boisson pushes aside Mirra Andreeva and extends her sensational run at Roland-Garros

Loïs Boisson's unexpected and spectacular adventure will continue at the French Open tennis tournament, where the 22-year-old Frenchwoman, ranked ^361st in the world, dominated (7-6 [8-6], 6-4) the Russian Mirra Andreeva, seeded number 6, in the quarter-finals of the Parisian Grand Slam on Wednesday, June 4.

This is a new achievement for the Dijon player – the last French player on the clay courts at Roland Garros – which allows her to reach the semi-finals, in her first appearance on the professional circuit. It is also a landmark result for French tennis, which has not been seen at this stage of the competition since Marion Bartoli in 2011.

As she has been doing since the beginning of the fortnight, Loïs Boisson found herself facing a heavily favored opponent. The 18-year-old Russian hadn't lost a single set at Roland Garros before facing the Frenchwoman. And this streak could have continued once the two players were engaged in a tiebreak in the first set. But this tiebreak ultimately went in Boisson's favor.

Trailing, Mirra Andreeva then saw her tennis falter and her nerves fail, which melted the lead she had gained at the start of the second set. Once back in the game, the Frenchwoman dominated the Russian with authority, until the end of this fierce battle, won by the local in more than two hours, on a bubbling Philippe-Chatrier court.

Displaying complete confidence and a firm expression throughout, Loïs Boisson only exulted once she had scored her match point. She then let her tears flow and thanked the packed Parisian crowd for the occasion.

"It's incredible and indescribable to feel supported like that ," Boisson told the tournament organizers. " Throughout the match , I try not to let anything go emotionally, to stay focused. That's why I let go of everything at the end of the matches."

Without hiding her ambitions, the semi-finalist was nonetheless keen to point out her vulnerability: "Anyone can beat anyone, I'm not unbeatable at all, far from it. But what I'm doing here is crazy!"

By reaching milestones that seemed out of reach just ten days earlier, Loïs Boisson is now just two matches away from a historic victory. The next one will take place on Thursday, June 5, against American Coco Gauff, the No. 2 seed. This challenge seems like a mountain to climb for Loïs Boisson, but the Frenchwoman has proven she's capable of lifting them.