This weekend at the French Open, first-time grand slam champions are poised to emerge on both the men's and women's sides as thrilling semifinal matchups unfold following a dramatic quarterfinal round.

Flavio Cobolli reached his first major semifinal by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Cobolli dominated the final three sets, winning 20 of his last 25 points on serve and completing 13 consecutive holds against the fourth-seeded opponent. His next challenge is Matteo Arnaldi, who advanced after Matteo Berrettini retired in the second set.

• Cobolli’s stats against top-10 players:
  • Wins: 4
  • Losses: 18
  • All wins on clay, including against Alexander Zverev.

Cobolli expressed his determination:

I felt like this is the chance of my life. I have to give everything in my matches and today I did that so I'm really happy.

Alexander Zverev, the second seed, has had the least time on court this tournament, winning all but one set. He faces Jakub Mensik, who eliminated Joao Fonseca in the quarterfinals. Mensik's journey has included overcoming cramps and dehydration, proving he is a formidable competitor on clay.

Men's Semifinals (Friday):
(2) Alexander Zverev vs. (26) Jakub Mensik
(10) Flavio Cobolli vs. Matteo Arnaldi

In women's action, Diana Shnaider stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-0. Sabalenka, plagued by 57 unforced errors, struggled to regain her composure after a strong start. This marks Shnaider's first major semifinal appearance.

Maja Chwalinska, unseeded, defeated Anna Kalinskaya and will face Shnaider next. Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva, the highest remaining seed at No. 8, continues her impressive form and will compete against Marta Kostyuk.

Women's Semifinals (Thursday):
Shnaider vs. Chwalinska
Andreeva vs. Kostyuk

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on these emerging talents as they vie for their first grand slam titles.