Svitolina, Kostyuk gear up for all-Ukrainian clash in French Open quarters

June 1 : The French Open quarter-finals start on Tuesday, with Roland Garros awaiting two first-time singles champions in the same year for the first time since 2016.

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina will face compatriot Marta Kostyuk to secure a possible semi-final clash with Russian Mirra Andreeva, who plays Romania's Sorana Cirstea.

Men's second seed Alexander Zverev will appear in his eighth French Open quarter-final, as the former finalist continues the quest for his maiden Grand Slam title. He will play 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar, who has stormed into the last eight on his Roland Garros debut.

SVITOLINA FACES KOSTYUK IN ALL-UKRAINIAN CLASH

After Kostyuk won her first-round match, she could barely contain her emotions, because a Russian missile had slammed near her family home in Kyiv just hours earlier.

"I felt sick just for the thought that if it was 100 metres closer, I probably wouldn't have a mum and a sister today," the 23-year-old said after the match.

A week later, the 15th seed showed none of that anxiety as she dismantled four-time champion Iga Swiatek to reach the French Open's quarter-finals for the first time.

Kostyuk, like the other Ukrainians in the tournament, has carried the weight of the war back home that has been raging for more than four years, and has been outspoken in her support for the people suffering.

But with Oleksandra Oliynykova out of the competition, Kostyuk and Svitolina are the only Ukrainians left standing, and one of them will become the first woman from the country to reach the French Open semis in the Open Era.

"There’s going to be Ukraine in the semi-final, so it's already amazing," seventh seed Svitolina said.

"I think in such a difficult situation right now, in the war with the