Ivanovic vs. Safarova: Score and Reaction for French Open 2015 Women's Semifinal

Lucie Safarova beat former French Open winner Ana Ivanovic in two sets during Thursday's semi-final, becoming the first woman to qualify for the final of the 2015 edition of the tournament.   

The 28-year-old beat Ivanovic 7-5, 7-5 in a match filled with mistakes and sloppy play, and she'll have to do far better in the final to beat the winner of the match between favourite Serena Williams and Timea Bacsinszky.

Ivanovic, the 2008 winner at Roland Garros, came out on fire, dominating her less experienced opponent in the opening stages of the first set. The veteran played solid defensive tennis from the baseline and won the first couple of games by waiting for Safarova to make mistakes, as shared by BBC Tennis:

Safarova made a brilliant tactical switch in the fourth game, however. She started relying more on her serve, pulling Ivanovic very wide, and she followed it up with aggressive winners and dashes toward the net.

Such a playing style is usually reserved for the faster surfaces, and on the French clay, it took Ivanovic by surprise. Rolling Stone's Juan Jose Vallejo noted Ivanovic likely wasn't used to facing such a strategy:

Ivanovic held her serve until 5-3, but mistakes started to creep into her play. The constant pressure and aggressive returns seemed to take their toll, and Safarova would eventually take advantage.

She broke serve down 5-3, did so again two games later, and eventually won five consecutive games to snatch the opening set, per ESPN Tennis:

"

Ivanovic appeared in control, but Safarova stormed back to win the opening set 7-5 in first @rolandgarros semifinal. pic.twitter.com/5qFAJzqv7L

— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) June 4, 2015"

Safarova showed fantastic composure to fight her way back into the set, but USA Today's Chris Chase had an alternative explanation:

His opinion appeared to be confirmed early in the second set, as Ivanovic started to collapse. Unforced errors and double-faults came in quick succession, and soon enough, Safarova broke serve again.

In turn, Safarova started playing with even more confidence, and the London Evening Standard's Chris Jones feared Ivanovic's bid to win the French Open again was all but over:

Ivanovic started finding her shots again midway through the second set, and Safarova's aggressive tactics resulted in a handful of mistakes that led to close games. Twice Ivanovic came close to breaking her serve, but Safarova managed to keep it together and run out to a 5-3 lead.

Christopher Clarey of the New York Times thought she looked nervous but hit the big shots when they were needed the most:

Those nerves played a huge role in the next game. Safarova hit three double-faults and handed Ivanovic a break of serve with a wide miss on her backhand, reminding pundits like the New York Times' Ben Rothenberg why she never made it to a Grand Slam final before:

Ivanovic finally managed her first break of the set, tying things up at 5-5 and keeping her alive in the match. But incredibly enough, she gave up her serve again in the very next game. Safarova was given another chance to serve for the match, and this time, she kept her cool and finished in style.

As shared by SI Tennis, Safarova's road to the final looks quite impressive:

She was overcome with emotions after the match, per the event's official Twitter account:

Safarova is the first Czech woman to reach this point in the event since Hana Mandlikova in 1981, per ESPN Stats & Info. She'll like her chances heading into the match. She's yet to drop a set at Roland Garros, and she showed plenty of mental fortitude in battling back after an early deficit.

There is cause for concern, however. As shared by tennis writer Chris Goldsmith, likely opponent Williams has never lost to Safarova:

The Czech didn't look particularly convincing against Ivanovic, who simply made more mistakes at key moments than her opponent. Safarova had eight double-faults and 31 unforced errors, and Williams will punish any opponent who puts up those kind of numbers.

Williams will play Bacsinszky later on Thursday.

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