Sensational Bertens breaks Bacsinszky and reaches final four

Kiki Bertens’s incredible adventure will be continued in the semi-finals. The player from Wateringen defeated the world’s number nine, Timea Bacsinszky, in her first Grand Slam quarter-final in two sets: 7-5 6-2.

The first set had seven breaks and an exciting final stage. At 4-4 Bertens placed a volley in the alley on her own service and had to process, to her own frustration, a forehand pass from the eighth seed at breakpoint.

For the third time Bertens, the first Dutch in a quarter-final at Roland Garros since Manon Bollegraf in 1992, came back from a break disadvantage.

After the re-break to 5-5 Bertens continued with a very strong backhand rally to 6-5 and received three setpoints after continuous backhand mistakes by Bacsinszky. She decided the first set with a hard hit forehand.

The physiotherapist had to bandage Bertens’s calf after the first set, but soon it was obvious she was still able to continue at high level.

In the first game of the first set Bertens immediately had a break, after Bacsinszky hit two continuous dropshots in the net. A little later Bertens, who scattered winners and played increasingly freely, forced a double break.

After a sloppy period Bacsinszky came back to 4-1 with a break of serve and the player from Lausanne served to 4-2. Then followed three break chances to come back to 4-3 and it was becoming clear that Bertens’s mobility was declining.

Holland’s number one did not run anymore for Bacsinszky’s multiple drop shots, but mentally Bertens was unbreakable. She fought back to 5-2 and came closer to the semi-final.

Bertens finished the match at her second match point with a backhand winner along the line and she fell to the ground in disbelief on the Suzanne Lenglen court.

In the semi-finals Bertens will meet the world number one, Serena Williams, who had difficulties beating the world’s number 60, Ylia Putintseva.