It was a markedly more one-sided affair than the pair’s only prior meeting in the Linz quarterfinals in April, a match that the 19-year-old claimed in three sets en route to the title.

“Last time I played against Sorana was an incredibly tough battle, and every practice that we have is also very tough,” Andreeva said. “We've practised, I don't know, 10 times maybe this year already, so we know each other very well, and I knew that this match wouldn't be easy.

“I knew that I would have to really put 200 percent of my intensity and of my focus today because she would use every opportunity that she would find to play aggressive and to pressure me today on the court so I'm just super happy that I was able to do it first and try and play aggressive throughout the whole match.”

The youngest player to reach three successive Roland-Garros quarterfinals since Martina Hingis from 1997-1999, Andreeva atoned for the disappointment of a last-eight boilover a year ago when she succumbed to the unheralded Lois Boisson and a partisan Parisian crowd.

Andreeva said she was better prepared to handle whatever came her way from her opponent or the crowd from here on. She will meet a Ukrainian, either Rome champion Elina Svitolina or Madrid champion Marta Kostyuk, for a place in her maiden Grand Slam final.

“I feel like this year here in Paris the crowd was not, you know, really against me like [last year], so I feel like it was still easier,” she said. “But I would say that if that would happen again, I feel like it would be a little bit easier for me to handle this, because I obviously already know what happened last year.

“I know how I was feeling and what was pressuring me. I feel like if it would happen this year, I would know how to fix the things.”

The third oldest woman to reach the quarterfinals – the oldest since Billie Jean King in 1980 – the 36-year-old Cirstea had already announced this would be her final season.

After cracking the top-20 this year though during an impressive clay-court swing that included a win over world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in Rome, questions naturally arose whether she would renege on her call.

“I'm sticking to my decision. Nothing changed in my mind,” Cirstea said. “I'm just very grateful, and how the year is going and the way I'm playing again overall was a very solid tournament.

“I think that longevity of my career is one of the things I'm the most proud of. I never expected I would play above 30, to be honest, and I never thought I would have such a long career. And also the way I fought, the way I evolved as a player, but also as a person through this year's tennis, because I feel like this sport has taught me so much.”

After six straight games in just 22 minutes, on the back of 85 per cent of first-serve points won and nine winners, it was clear Andreeva was in a hurry.

The pair stood toe-to-toe through the ensuing six games before Andreeva put her foot down again to prevail in 57 minutes. She finished with 18 winners – 11 off the forehand – and won 88 per cent of points on Cirstea’s second serve.

“I guess kind of last time I was in semis was two years ago, so maybe it's kind of a long time,” the 19-year-old said. “I would say that I believe that everything happens for a reason, and if I was not able to reach the semis of another Grand Slam, then I guess that's what should have happened.

“I'm happy that I'm back in the semifinals again. I think that I'm just going to try to keep using the same mindset of giving my best, giving my 100 per cent no matter what happens.”