Italian Martina Trevisan became the first qualifier in eight years to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open by beating Dutch fifth seed Kiki Bertens 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday.
The world number 159 played aggressively throughout to set up a meeting with Polish teenager Iga Swiatek, who knocked out top seed Simona Halep.
“I came here two weeks ago to play the qualifiers and today I'm here in the quarter finals. I can't believe it,” said Trevisan, who will break into the top 100 of the WTA rankings on Monday.
“I'm really honoured to play on this court with Bertens; she's an incredible player.”
After 16 consecutive defeats to top 100 players across all levels from 2017 to 2020, Trevisan has now posted four consecutive wins over such opponents in one week.
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She is the first qualifier to reach the last eight at Roland Garros since Yaroslava Shvedova in 2012, and the 10th overall in the women's draw since tennis turned professional in 1968.
Only Belgian Filip Dewulf, in the men's tournament, managed to go one step further, in 1997. Trevisan raced into a 5-1 lead in the opening set -- winning 10 points in a row at one point -- on the back of some patient play and excellent court coverage before Bertens eventually found her feet.
The 26-year-old Italian converted three break points to take the opening set, with her points at the net and ability to change the pace of rallies leaving a bewildered Bertens searching unsuccessfully for answers.
Trevisan opened a 3-0 lead in the second but Bertens went up a gear to break back and threaten a comeback.
Trevisan, however, held her nerve and wrapped up victory with an exquisite lob on her third match point on Bertens's serve.
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