Mirra Andreeva stuns Aryna Sabalenka to reach French Open semifinals

PARIS -- With the insouciance of a 17-year-old having the time of her life here, Mirra Andreeva says she and her coach work out a game plan before a tennis match -- and then she forgets all about it, preferring to just wing it.

Seems to be working out fine so far: The unseeded Russian is the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist in more than a quarter century.

Playing in only her sixth major tournament, Andreeva got past an ill No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4 at the French Open on Wednesday. On Thursday, Andreeva goes up against another surprising player: No. 12 Jasmine Paolini, a 28-year-old Italian player who reached her first major semifinal by defeating No. 4 Elena Rybakina 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

"I always play the way I want to play. We have a plan with my coach for the match, but after I forget everything, and when I play a match, I don't have any thoughts in my head," said the 38th-ranked Andreeva, who is based in Cannes, France, and coached by 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez. "So maybe I would say that my strength could be that I just play how I want to play and I do whatever I want to do."