Shnaider stuns Sabalenka and Chwalinska into French Open semi-finals on day of shocks

• No 1 seed has final-set meltdown to lose 6-3, 5-7, 0-6

• Tension and windy conditions add to player’s woes

Ninety minutes into her 14th consecutive grand slam quarter-final, it seemed like nothing could stop Aryna Sabalenka from another straightforward day on-court. Even in gusty conditions and after a few nervous games while closing out the opening set, the world’s best women’s player seemed to be cruising as she established a 6-3, 4-1 lead.

Instead, that moment marked the beginning of one of the most shocking collapses of Sabalenka’s career. Arrested by tension and unable to play with any semblance of freedom, the top seed fell apart. She was overcome by a supreme fighting performance from the 25th seed Diana Shnaider, who recovered to produce the greatest win of her career by defeating Sabalenka 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.