After 2 hours and 23 minutes of play, Pauline Parmentier managed to secure her place in the final four. She will face the German Tatjana Maria tomorrow in the semi-final. In the other section of the draw, Carina Witthoeft and Kiki Bertens qualified.
Daria Gavrilova and Pauline Parmentier battled fiercely this afternoon on the central court of the Pierre Sauvaigo Sports Park. When one broke serve, the other quickly broke back. The games stretched on, often pushed to the 4th or 5th deuce. A tie-break was needed to decide the winner of the first set. But even then, the two players extended the suspense before the Frenchwoman finally won 8-6 in the tie-break.
The beginning of the second set unfolded much like the first. Every game was contested, with both players slow to gain a decisive lead. Once again, the player from the north managed to pull ahead first, leading 5-2. But yet again, the Russian closed the gap to 5-4, with her serve to follow. Ultimately, after 3 match points, a weary but relieved Pauline Parmentier finished the match on her opponent’s serve (7-6, 6-4).
by Laurence Andreoletti
