Rybakina rues bad day at the office

PARIS : Elena Rybakina bemoaned an off day after losing in the French Open quarter-finals to rising Italian star Jasmine Paolini on Wednesday.

Paolini's stunning 6-2 4-6 6-4 win over fourth seed Rybakina put her in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time.

"She played really well, she started much better, she was moving good, I started a bit slow and she was aggressive from the first ball," Rybakina told reporters.

"I was trying to fight through but it's not the greatest day in the office," she added.

Kazakh Rybakina, 24, had complained throughout the tournament about sleep badly and allergies.

"I think in the end my legs were not there. No matter which conditions, if it's slow or fast, I should have been moving better," she said. "I'm not really happy with the performance but it is what it is, it's tennis."

The former Wimbledon champion will now turn her attention to the grasscourt season and the Olympic Games in Paris.