French Open 2021: Zverev, Tsitsipas Quarterfinal Wins Highlight Tuesday's Results

The men's side of the bracket saw two relatively non-competitive matches while the women provided a pair of three-set thrillers in Tuesday's action at the 2021 French Open.

Sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev and fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas will move on to face each other in one men's semifinal, while Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Tamara Zidansek will fill out one of the more improbable women's semifinals in recent French Open history.

Zverev breezed through for a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, winning 85 of the match's 135 points. The German has not lost a set since being forced the distance by countryman Oscar Otte in the opening round. Making his first French Open semifinal, Zverev could make his second Slam final in a year with a win over Tsitsipas.

“It’s very nice to be in the semifinals. Just being here doesn’t satisfy me," Zverev said on the court after the match. "I know I’m playing pretty OK. I hope I can continue playing the same way, maybe even better in the semifinals and then we’ll see in two days’ time what it holds for me.” 

Tsitsipas likewise did need much time to dispatch of Daniil Medvedev in a strong 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-5 effort to reach his second Slam semifinal of 2021. The rising 22-year-old was dominant on his serve, even winning 77 percent of his second-serve points. He will look to atone from his five-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the 2020 French Open. 

Both Pavlyuchenkova and Zidansek will be making their first semifinal in any major. Pavlyuchenkova, who has been on the outskirts of contention of majors in the past, may have finally gotten over the hump in her 6-7 (2), 6-2, 9-7 comeback victory over Elena Rybakina.

The Russian played a steady match throughout, earning herself 17 different break-point chances and avoiding major mistakes. It was a breakthrough win after failing six previous times in a Grand Slam quarterfinal.

“Still matches to go through. Still work to be done," an unsatisfied Pavlyuchenkova said after the match.

Zidansek, ranked 85th in the world and having never gotten past Round 2 of a major before this trip to Paris, is on the shortlist of unlikeliest semifinalists in French Open history. After upsetting sixth-seeded Bianca Andreescu in the opening round, Zidansek has managed to make it all the way to the final four without playing another seeded opponent—thanks in large part to massive upsets across the women's bracket.

Good fortune was in her favor again Tuesday, with Paula Badosa double-faulting eight times and making several other unforced errors to help Zidansek earn a 7-5, 4-6, 8-6 victory. 

“Winning the first round was a big breakthrough for me,” Zidansek said. “I got a lot of confidence from that.

“Before the tournament I was feeling really good. I was playing good, especially on clay. Had some good matches. When it started to click? I don't know. I just kept going match by match. Every day is a chapter for itself. I'm just going to keep doing that and hope for the best.”