PARIS – With her main rivals Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina all exiting the French Open early, the title was all for the taking for world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

On Wednesday, however, the Belarusian also joined the top-seeds exodus as she crashed out to Russian 25th seed Diana Shnaider 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, who lost this season’s Australian Open final to Rybakina, has now failed to go one step further than her runner-up Roland Garros finish last year.

Shnaider was an underdog, but the left-hander beat former Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 in the previous round and is more than capable to compete at this level and cause upsets.

She will next take on Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who also continued her dream run by reaching the semi-finals with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory over Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya earlier.

The 24-year-old absorbed the power of the 22nd seed superbly, repeatedly forcing Kalinskaya into errors as she became only the second qualifier in the Open era to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals – and the sixth to achieve the feat at a Grand Slam.

“I honestly don’t know what’s going on. I know I repeat myself but every single match here is kind of crazy for me so I’m very grateful,” Chwalinska said.

“I just try to win every match that I’m playing.”

In the men’s draw, Alexander Zverev insisted he is just focused on his upcoming semi-final rather than being the favourite to win a first Slam after he laid down a marker on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory over Rafael Jodar.

With the crushing 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win over the 19-year-old Spaniard, Zverev advanced to his fifth Roland Garros semi-final in the last six years.

The second seed is considered the heavy favourite to win his first Slam title following the shock early departures of top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time maj...