Elena Rybakina continued her quest for a second title at Wimbledon with a straight-sets victory over Elina Svitolina on Wednesday.
The 2022 champion stormed to a 6-3, 6-2, win over her Ukrainian rival in what was their fifth Tour-level meeting. Rybakina was able to dictate play with the help of 26 winners and dropped only four points behind her first serve. She has now won 40 matches this season and her career win-loss record at Wimbledon currently stands at 19-2.
“It’s always tough to play Elina. She’s a great player and fighter. No matter the score, it was not as easy as it might look like.” Rybakina said during her on-court interview.
A tentative start to the match saw both players both drop their opening service games before settling down. Engaging in some heavy-hitting exchanges from the baseline, Rybakina seized her moment in the eighth game. Two forehand winners from the Kazakh with a Svitolina error in between moved her to a trio of break points chances for a 5-3 lead. She converted her first with a deep return that triggered another mistake from across the court. Rybakina went on to seal the opening set in just over 30 minutes by firing a 115 mph ace out wide.
Continuing to dictate proceedings on Center Court, the fourth seed bullied Svitolina around the court by hitting angle shots that set her up to hit a winner. Breaking immediately at the start of the second frame with this tactic. Svitolina kept fighting by producing glimmers of her best shot-making. However, she was not consistent enough to derail Rybakina, who broke for a second time en route to victory. Closing the match out with her seventh ace which registered at a speed of 113 mph.
It is the seventh time this season that Rybakina has reached the semi-final of a Tour event which is the joint-most on the WTA Tour alongside Iga Swiatek. She is the only player left in the women’s draw to have previously reached a final at The All England Club.
“I have such amazing memories from 2022,” she said. “I’m just really enjoying every time I step on the court. Especially when I play good, it’s just really amazing.”
“I have an aggressive style of game, I have a huge serve so it’s a big advantage.
“Of course, I want to go to the end, but I’m (taking it) match by match and I’m happy with the way I’m going and looking forward to the next one.”
Standing in her way of a place in this year’s final will be Barbora Krejcikova. A former French Open champion who had never gone beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon until this year. Krejcikova ousted Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-6(4),in a roller-coaster encounter. The Czech dropped four consecutive games after leading 4-1 in the second set but held her nerve to seal victory. She is the seventh woman from her country to reach the last four at SW19 in the Open Era.
“I don’t have any words right now. Just a minute ago, I told myself that I’m going to leave here everything I have andI’m really happy that I did and yeah, it’s a great moment for me,” said Krejcikova.
“It’s an unbelievable moment that I’m experiencing right now in my tennis career.”
The fairytale run comes after a difficult start to 2024 for Krejcikova who won only three matches between February and June. During this period she was struggling with a back injury.
“There have been many doubts from inside but also from the outside world but I’m super happy that I never give up and that I’m standing here right now and that I qualified to be in the semi-finals.” She said.
Krejcikova is ranked 28 places lower than Rybakina at 32nd in the world but has won both of their previous meetings. However, the last time they played was in 2022.
It is the first time since 2018 that three out of the four Wimbledon semi-finalists in the women’s draw are aged 28 or over.
