Good afternoon! We are now at the business end of the 2021 French Open. Day 12 will see us focus on the women’s semi finals. Up first it’s Russia’s No.31 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova against Slovenia's world number 85 Tamara Zidansek. The players are due out on Court Philippe-Chatrier from 2pm BST.

GAME, SET AND MATCH! - PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 6-3 ZIDANSEK. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova books her spot in her first ever Grand Slam final with a straight sets victory over Slovenia’s World No.85 Tamara Zidanesk. It was a far from straight-forward one hour and 34-minute battle though as both players had peaks and troughs. The Russian played the bigger moments more solidly though and will now meet Barbora Krejcikova or Maria Sakkari in Sunday’s final.

BREAK! – PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 5-3 ZIDANSEK. It’s a real rollercoaster out there. The game sums up Zidanesk’s afternoon. The chances are there but the consistency isn’t. Pavlyuchenkova responds well to the nervy service game and snares the break once more. She will now serve for the match. Can she find the big first serve to get over the line?

BREAK! – PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 4-3 ZIDANSEK. Is Pavs tightening up? The serve goes AWOL and a couple of double faults – including one on break point – offer Zidansek hope of a comeback.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 4-2 ZIDANSEK. That’s more like it from Tamara. She’ll be fully aware there’s a need for urgency now and she manages to hit full throttle on serve to blast through a perfect hold and stay in contention.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 4-1 ZIDANSEK. It’s winner after winner as Pavlyuchenkova finds the big serve to cruise to a hold to 15 and consolidate this time around. Her first major final is growing ever larger on her horizon. Can she stay loose and focused to see it through?

BREAK! – PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 3-1 ZIDANSEK. The break-fest continues. Zidansek can’t take advantage of the reprieve and that’s a huge tonic for Pavs. She’s looking a bit hot and bothered out there at the moment but a glance at the scoreboard will help.

BREAK! – PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 2-1 ZIDANSEK. Don’t count her out yet! Zidansek stops the rot and manages to get under the Russian’s skin. Pavs has been so strong in tricky moments but this time she comes up short, landing a double fault to allow her opponent to break back to 15.

BREAK! – PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 2-0 ZIDANSEK. Once again Pavlyuchenkova’s best tennis kicks in on the big points. She forces deuce when she catches up to a drop shot following a lung-busting rally and glides a backhand down the line. Zidansek double faults looking to serve the game out and from there Anastasia begins to reel her in. A deft drop volley conjures up a first BP and although that’s saved by a blistering forehand Zidansek hits a tame backhand on the second to cough up the early break.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 1-0 ZIDANSEK. Pavs continues to win the mini battles and is more focused in the key moments so far. Zidansek offers another flash of brilliance to hit back from 40-15 down but the Russian locks in from deuce and rakes a forehand pass to her opponent’s right flank to open Set 2 on the front foot.

SET! - PAVLYUCHENKOVA 7-5 ZIDANSEK. It’s the No.31 seed who secures the break to take a 52-minute opener. The Russian reaches to her right and steers a crosscourt forehand with sublime angle to up the ante for 15-30. Zidansek fizzes long to cough up a pair of set points and then the Slovenian implodes once more with her second double fault of the match.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA 6-5 ZIDANSEK. It’s tight, tense but lots of fun out there. Both players may well point to nearly moments if they fail to take this opener. Anastasia could reflect on that unfortunate moment with her lob when serving for the set, while Zidanesk will lament the failure to take double break point here. Pavlyuchenkova works so hard to dig out the hold from deuce with the sweat literally dropping off her. She guarantees herself the minimum of a tie break while Tamara now has the pressure of serving to stay in it.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA 5-5 ZIDANSEK. She’s back in business. The Slovenian consolidates with a game to 30 to take this opening set to the wire.

BREAK! – PAVLYUCHENKOVA 5-4 ZIDANSEK. That’s a mix of brilliance and fortune right there. Pavlyuchenkova thinks she’s got a set point at 30-30 when she wins a face-off at the net and lobs towards the open court. Zidansek reaches up and clunks the ball with the frame of her racket. The ball flies towards the Russian’s baseline and drops in. Pavs responds and ends up saving two break points before she drills long on the third after a trademark Tamara forehand had carved open a third opportunity.

BREAK! – PAVLYUCHENKOVA 5-3 ZIDANSEK. That’s a collapse from the world number 85. She belts a trio of winners to take charge but then falls apart. A double fault at deuce gifts Pavs a look-in but the Russian doesn’t have to do much as Zidansek seals her own downfall by firing a loose forehand wide.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA 4-3 ZIDANSEK. Tamara has an opportunity to press for deuce but sizzles a forehand with real bite just long. That was less straight-forward for Pavlyuchenkova but she stands firm to nudge the board once more.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA 3-3 ZIDANSEK. That’s a very tidy hold in response. Zidansek has made 16 of 17 first serves so far and the forehand has contributed greatly to her six winners. Strange that she’s already coughed up four break points given that first serve stat.