PARIS ¨C The clay courts of Roland Garros were transformed into a complex geopolitical chessboard on Tuesday as they produced a French Open semifinal ?lineup featuring a number of emotionally charged matches in the shadow of ?Russia¡¯s war ?in Ukraine.
Marta Kostyuk defeated fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3, ?2-6, 6-2 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to book a semi-final against 19-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, who earlier dismantled Romania¡¯s Sorana Cirstea 6-0 6-3.
The other side of the draw ?also carries political overtones, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine now in its fifth year.
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