PARIS, June 6 -- The bracket that began with Aryna Sabalenka as the favourite and Coco Gauff as the defending champion reaches its final Sunday without either of them. What it has instead is more interesting: a 19-year-old Russian who has spent three years willing herself to this court, and a 24-year-old Pole who got here through the qualifying rounds and has not stopped moving forward since.

Mirra Andreeva and Maja Chwalinska will play for the Suzanne Lenglen Cup on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Saturday, a final that produces, by any measure, a first-time Grand Slam champion. The last time Roland Garros saw two finalists who had never held a major trophy was something of a rarity in itself. That both arrived here through paths this differ...