French Open 2016: Tearful Shelby Rogers lights up Paris after incredible run continues to reach quarter-finals

A damp and overcast day here at the French Open was lit up by the smile of Shelby Rogers. When the 23-year-old American was not wiping away tears of joy after reaching the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time, her beaming face was telling you everything about what this meant to a player who was initially just happy to have made the starting line.

Having beaten Karolina Pliskova in the first round and Petra Kvitova in the third, the world No 108 recorded her third victory over a seed when she beat Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3, 6-4. Rogers dominated the match on Court Suzanne Lenglen from the moment she broke serve in the second game.

Rogers was in tears at the end, just as she had been after her previous match. Asked afterwards if she cried often, the American said: “One hundred per cent all the time: sad, happy, hungry, reading a book, watching a movie. They flow very easily.”

She added: “It was an amazing atmosphere. I really enjoyed playing on that court. It was a great experience. I think that's a very important point on backing up a big win. I guess I have done that pretty much this whole tournament, starting with the first round, because that was a huge upset for me and kind of set the tone for the last few matches I have played.

“I keep reminding myself to play one point at a time and that this is just another tennis match, but that's getting a little bit harder to as the rounds get farther.”

In the quarter-finals Rogers will face Garbine Muguruza, the world No 4. “Of course it gets harder every round,” Rogers said. “I’m ready to step up to the challenge, I think. I have nothing to lose. I have no pressure. It’s just been a great experience here, and I want to keep enjoying it and keep pushing myself.

“I’m definitely outside of my comfort zone already and I keep telling myself: ‘You belong here. You belong here. Play your game. Do the things that got you to this moment. Don’t change anything’.”

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Rogers reached a career-high position at No 70 in the world two summers ago, but had dropped to No 146 by the end of last year. To be certain of gaining direct entry into the Grand Slam tournaments players need to be ranked in the world’s top 104. As the world No 108, Rogers was the second-to-last player to make it into the draw here.

“My ranking dropped because of injuries, things like this,” Rogers said. “Starting this year, my goal was to be in the main draw of the Slams this summer. I think the initial cut I was last in at the French Open and last in at Wimbledon. I made my goal, but only just.”

Rogers paid credit to her coach, Marc Lucero. “We had a little bit of a rough year last year dealing with some injuries and some tough results, like 15 or 16 first-round losses. It’s not easy. But he's been very good at keeping me not too high or too low. It’s a process. You have to work through these things. Each day get a little bit better. I think focusing on that has been really helpful.”

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Muguruza reached the quarter-finals for the third year in a row when she beat Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion, 6-3, 6-4. The Wimbledon runner-up, who has never gone on to reach the semi-finals here, is aiming to become the first Spanish woman to win the title since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1998.

Although Muguruza made 30 unforced errors to Kuznetsova’s 21, the Spaniard hit 37 winners to her opponent’s 12. Muguruza hit winners from all areas of the court and would have won more comfortably if Kuznetsova had not defended break points so stoutly.

Muguruza finally converted her seventh break point to take a 5-3 lead and then served out to take the opening set. Kuznetsova retrieved an early break in the second set, but at 4-4 Muguruza made her decisive move, hitting a forehand pass winner to break serve again. However, the Spaniard needed five match points before securing her victory when Kuznetsova hit a backhand beyond the baseline.