Away from Madrid's big stage, Naomi Osaka and Stan Wawrinka reach finals at French events

On a Saturday that saw Aryna Sabalenka lift her 20th career trophy, fellow multiple Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Stan Wawrinka reached finals away from the tour level in France.

At the WTA 125K in Saint-Malo, the second-seeded Osaka pulled away from Leolia Jeanjean in their semifinal with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 victory, The former world No. 1 has eliminated three home favorites in a row en route to Sunday’s championship.

Osaka opted to take a wild card into the tournament after losing her clay-court season debut in Madrid to Lucia Bronzetti. Having posted a discouraging message on her social media following the early exit at the WTA 1000 event, the four-time major winner lifted her spirits the following day by declaring on Threads, “Ok I’m done with my crashout. I refuse to be sad, I rebuke it.”

For the title, Osaka meets Kaja Juvan. The 24-year-old Slovenian, entered on a protected ranking, dispatched Viktorija Golubic, 6-4, 6-4. Denying Osaka would see Juvan complete her week with wins over four seeded opponents.

On the opposite end of the country at the Aix en Provence Challenger, Wawrinka faces an in-form Borna Coric for the title. The Swiss saved eight of nine break points to advance past Borno Gojo with a 6-4, 6-4 win.

“I think today was my best match. I'm moving better, feeling the ball better. It's amazing to still have a chance to play a final,” Wawrinka said afterwards.

Wawrinka notably snapped Coric’s 16-match win streak at the Challenger level in Napoli on March 27, the day before he turned 40. The three-time major title holder is looking to become the ATP Challenger Tour's oldest champion ever.

Coric rallied past Ignacio Buse, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, as he bids for a fourth trip to the winners’ circle since February. Win or lose, the Croatian’s efforts have cemented his return to the Top 100 come Monday.

Stream Wawrinka-Coric live on the Tennis Channel app Sunday (approx. 8:20 a.m. ET)