Fit and firing Boisson dares to dream as stunning French Open run rolls on

PARIS - At Roland Garros, a venue that has crushed generations of French players, world number 361 Lois Boisson is daring to dream of an improbable triumph after she stormed into the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday to continue her magnificent run.

The 22-year-old, in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time, beat Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals having knocked out world number three Jessica Pegula in the previous round.

Her WTA ranking belies the true level of Boisson, who was hovering around the 150th place when she sustained a serious knee injury a year ago.

Now that shes fit, she is firing and has her eyes firmly fixed on the biggest prize.

For sure, every tennis player dreams of winning a Slam - and for a French player, Roland Garros even more so. I’ll go for it because my dream is to win the final, not the semi-final,” Boisson, who will at least break into the worlds top 70 next week, told a press conference.

The daughter of a former professional basketball player, she has lit up the clay courts in Paris with her gutsy performances and calm demeanour under pressure — a far cry from how she used to be.

When I started tennis, I was very nervous, very emotional on court, Boisson, who faces world number two Coco Gauff on Thursday, told reporters. It was hurting me too much. I realised I wouldn’t go far if I stayed like that. I learned to control it.

Boisson, who overcame Andreeva in a tense quarter-final, spoke of how her preparation remains constant whether she is facing a top-10 player or a qualifier.

The preparation is pretty much the same, whether it’s against a number 300 or a top 10,” she said. We analyse the opponent,