Underdog Lois Boisson is celebrating success at her first Grand Slam appearance, having pulled off the upset of the year. The French player, ranked world No. 361, battled back from a set down to defeat third seed and US Open finalist Jessica Pegula in a match lasting two hours and 40 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier, with a final score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Boisson is the first French female wildcard entry to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals since former singles champion Mary Pierce achieved the feat in 2002.
Boisson, who currently enjoys significant national support, was controversially called `smelly` by British player Harriet Dart when they competed at a less prominent tournament back in April. However, Boisson is arguably having the last laugh now, as her remarkable run has secured her £370,000 in prize money – a sum that could certainly afford a substantial amount of deodorant. Prior to this fortnight at Roland Garros, her total career earnings from WTA Tour events amounted to only £16,000.
The 22-year-old Boisson commented on her achievement:
“It’s truly amazing for me to achieve this. I am very proud of myself and my team. I hope to win more matches here.”
“I wouldn`t have believed it if someone told me this two weeks ago. But I trusted in myself. I really want to thank the French Tennis Federation because without this wildcard, I couldn`t play this tournament. I took my chance, and I will go further. I will try my best.”
“In the beginning, even though there weren`t many fans, you could still hear them on Centre Court. But for the third set, it was full. It was incredible. Roland Garros is a dream and a goal, so reaching the quarter-finals is already a step forward.”
Boisson aims to continue her dream run when she faces Russian sixth seed Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals. Andreeva advanced by defeating the last remaining Australian player, Daria Kasatkina, with a score of 6-3, 7-5. In other notable results, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys both won their respective Round of 16 matches in straight sets, setting up an all-American quarter-final showdown.
