- Boisson had previously overturned the number-three seed Pegula in the last-16
- But few were prepared for the fight she would bring to the Russian teenager
- Andreeva struggled against a hostile and deeply partisan French crowd in Paris
Mirra Andreeva was overcome with emotion in the face of a hostile Parisian crowd during her French Open quarter-final clash with home favourite Lois Boisson on Wednesday afternoon.
The number-six seed was one of the tournament contenders ahead of her last-eight match and although her opponent had enjoyed a dazzling run in the capital after entering with a wildcard, few could have imagined any impediment to Andreeva’s spot in the semi-final.
But against the backdrop of a highly charged Philippe-Chatrier, the world No361 pulled off an even more impressive showing than she had against the No3 seed Jessica Pegula in her last-16 clash.
Showing no sign of nerves, Boisson at her first-ever Grand Slam held her own in a tense first set by clawing her face back from 5-3 down to force a tiebreak.
After claiming the opening set, the Frenchwoman opted not to let going 3-0 down impact her performance, with Boisson booking her spot in the semi-final in straight sets.
Andreeva, by contrast, unravelled, with the Indian Wells champion showing her 18 years of age poignantly as she battled to keep her emotions in check.
Mirra Andreeva narrowly avoided punishment when she shanked a ball into the crowd
Overwhelmed with emotion in the aftermath of her battle with Lois Boisson, Andreeva seemed tearful as she made her way off the court
The 18-year-old was seeded sixth in the draw and had appeared a strong contender for the title
The Russian teenager was unable to do so however after making an error in the seventh game of the second set, smashing the ball in frustration into the stands.
Andreeva was fortunate to receive a code violation of a warning for her antics, but was unable to keep her emotions in check.
Wound up by the deeply partisan and – despite repeat warnings from the umpire – increasingly aggressive crowd, Andreeva called upon them to ‘shut up’ .
The teenager also struggled with the presence of her coach Conchita Martinez as she grew increasingly frustrated with the errors in her game.
At one point in the match, Andreeva’s mother Raisa is believed to have left the players’ box at her daugher’s request.
The 18-year-old later became embroiled with the umpire after she stopped play when Boisson indicated with her finger that she believed a ball had gone out.
Coming down to check the mark, the umpire declared the ball out, prompting Andreeva to question why the point had been stopped and arguing that ‘the ball touched the line’.
When told that the ball had been struck long, Andreeva was incredulous as a volley of boos rained down on her from around the stadium.
The teenager also found herself embroiled in a tense discussion with the umpire at the net
Andreeva attempted to drown out the crowd but was overwhelmed in the second set
The Parisians were in full voice cheering on the last French man or woman left in the draw
Lois Boisson is the lowest ranked semi-finalist at the French Open in over forty years
After losing the match, Andreeva was however thoughtful to ensure that her sportsmanship did not desert her, greeting Boisson at the net with a hug of congratulations.
But as she left the court, Andreeva appeared to let her emotions finally overcome her, seemingly departing in tears.
Boisson’s shock upset on the Paris clay makes her the lowest-ranked semi-finalist at the Grand Slam in over forty years.
The 22-year-old has also netted prize money worth five times her career earnings to date, with a guaranteed sum of £586,341 for semi-finalists in the tournament.
Boisson will face off with Coco Gauff en route to a potential history-making final appearance, after the former US Open champion defeated Madison Keys in three sets earlier on Wednesday.