The Latest: Krejcikova saves match point to reach final

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Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova apologises after winning point as she plays Maria Sakkari of Greece during their semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Thursday, June 10, 2021 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

The Latest on the French Open (all times local):

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8:40 p.m

Unseeded Barbora Krejcikova saved one match point before booking a spot in the French Open final, where she will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Saturday.

Down 5-3, 30-40 on her serve in the decider against 17th-seeded Maria Sakkari, Krejcikova hit a backhand winner at the net to stay alive in the match. She finally held and broke back in the next game to level at 5-5.

Krejcikova needed five match points to seal the win 7-5, 4-6, 9-7.

Both Krejcikova and Pavlyuchenkova will play their first Grand Slam final.

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6 p.m.

Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut saved three match points in beating Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah to reach the French Open doubles final.

The 2018 champions won 6-7 (2), 7-6 (2), 6-4 in a match that lasted nearly three hours.

Herbert and Mahut in the final will face Kazakh players Alexander Bublik and Andrey Golubev, who defeated Pablo Andujar and Pedro Martinez 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.

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4:45 p.m.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will play her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros.

The 31st-seeded player defeated unseeded Tamara Zidansek 7-5, 6-3 to become the first Russian woman to reach a final at a major since Maria Sharapova at the 2015 Australian Open.

Both players struggled with their serves on Court Philippe Chatrier but Pavlyuchenkova managed to hold her nerves better on important points.

Zidansek, who had never been beyond the second round at a major before, hit some superb drop shots and forehand winners but also made 33 unforced errors.

“I wanted this so much that right now I don’t feel anything,” Pavlyuchenkova said. “Tennis is such a mental sport. That’s what is really hard about tennis.”

None of the four women’s semifinalists had previously advanced so far at a Grand Slam tournament.

Pavlyuchenkova will play either 17th-seeded Maria Sakkari or Barbora Krejcikova in Saturday’s final.

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2:15 p.m

All four French Open women's semifinalists are in new territory. It's the first time they've advanced this far at a Grand Slam tournament.

The 31st-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is the most experienced. She finally made it to the last four at a major event after six previous losses in quarterfinals.

Pavlyuchenkova faces unseeded Tamara Zidansek in the first semifinal on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The 17th-seeded Maria Sakkari will then be up against Barbora Krejcikova.

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1:30 pm

Desirae Krawczyk of the United States and Joe Salisbury of Britain won the mixed doubles title at the French Open.

The pair defeated Russians Aslan Karatsev and Elena Vesnina 2-6, 6-4, 10-5.

Their win ended Britain’s 39-year wait for a title at Roland Garros. The last British player to lift a trophy in the tournament's five main events was John Lloyd in the mixed doubles in 1982. He played with Wendy Turnbull of Australia.

Both Krawczyk and Salisbury were eliminated in the early stages of the doubles tournament in Paris and turned their focus to the mixed doubles.

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12:50 pm

Russian Aslan Karatsev can make up for his disappointing run in singles at Roland Garros with the mixed doubles title in Paris.

Karatsev, who lost in the second round of the men's tournament, has teamed with former top-ranked doubles player Elena Vesnina. They've made it to the final and take on Desirae Krawczyk and Joe Salisbury in Thursday's final.

Karatsev made his breakthrough at the Australian Open, reaching the semifinals as a qualifier. He claimed his first ATP Tour title in Dubai but could not get past German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber at Roland Garros.

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