Chwalinska chases Grand Slam history in final vs teen Andreeva

Maja Chwalinska during her semi-final win over Diana Shnaider on Thursday. Pics/AFP

Maja Chwalinska will bid to become only the second qualifier in the professional era to win a Grand Slam title on Saturday after a run that has been "hard to process", but faces her toughest test yet in the final against Mirra Andreeva, 19.

The 24-year-old is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Emma Raducanu, the only man or woman in the Open era to win a Grand Slam singles tournament as a qualifier.

"Let's not pretend someone expected it," admitted Chwalinska. "I mean, I was outside [the] top 100, and now I'm in the finals of a Grand Slam, so I feel like it's a big thing. So it's hard to process it, I guess."

Mirra Andreeva returns to Marta Kostyuk during their semi-final clash in Paris on Thursday

She has continued to belie her status as the World No. 114 at Roland Garros, reeling off nine consecutive victories, including in qualifying, over a remarkable three weeks.

Andreeva is far from a shock finalist, though, and will be a strong favourite to lift her maiden Grand Slam title against a player who had only won one match at a major before this tournament.

The 19-year-old Russian has long been tipped for the sport's biggest honours and has already won five WTA titles, including two at 1000-level events. "It's important to do whatever I have been doing, no matter what stage of the tournament," she said.

Andreeva has hardly been stretched in her six matches. She dropped the opening set to Marina Bassols Ribera in the second round, but only lost two games in winning the next two.

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Maja Chwalinska will become only the second qualifier in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title, after Emma Raducanu