Gulbis shapes up and shows brilliance, Sharapova beats Mugurza in quarter-final shriekfest

On day 10 of Roland Garros we learned about Gulbis' and Djokovic's schooldays, that Sharapova is no longer a cow on ice and that experience triumphs in a shriekfest.

Maria Sharapova during her match against Garbine Muguruza Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes

• This French open is a backstory bonanza. And no this isn't about the physical ailments of the top players but the trials and tribulations they’ve endured on their way to the show courts of western Paris. On day nine we learned that the Frenchman Gaël Monfils and the Briton Andy Murray go way back to when they were 11 and 10 respectively. On day 10 we were informed of the antics of the young lads at the Niki Pilic academy in Germany. Ernests Gulbis recalls a 15-year-old Novak Djokovic who'd prefer to go back to the gym to do some stretching while Ernests and the lads went off on the pull.
• Dedication gets you places. Djokovic, 27, the world number two, and winner of 44 singles titles including half a dozen grand slam titles, remembers a young Gulbis who liked to have fun and – “embrace everything with open arms”.
  

• Reform is a many-splendoured thing. Ernests Gulbis, 25, has won five singles titles. For the past few years he’s been regarded as talented but not committed. The Latvian – in this run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros – is displaying his brilliance. He says his mentality has arrived at the point where he wants to do justice to his gifts.
• Those bovine days are done. The self-declared cow on ice is digging the dirt. About seven or eight years ago, Maria Sharapova came over all bucolic when she was describing her attempts to make headway at the French Open. She evoked the image of a cow trying to walk on ice to depict her ungainly footwork. The Russian won the title in 2012 was beaten finalist in 2013 and advanced to the semi-finals for the fourth year in a row on day 10 following her three set win over Garbine Mugurza.
• Experience is the subtle decider. The shriekfest that was the quarter-final clash between Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sharapova was ultimately decided by an essence that couldn’t be heard. Sharapova has been at the quarter-final stage of a grand slam many a time, has been in finals too. Young Muguruza, at 20, didn’t have a fount to draw on when at the business end of the second set. She lost it and was overwhelmed in the final set. Next time Muguruza will be even more formidable.