LONDON, England: Elena Rybakina aims to move closer to her second Wimbledon title as she faces Barbora Krejcikova in the semi-finals on Thursday. With one of the All England Club’s most powerful serves, Rybakina is a formidable opponent.
Rybakina’s Dominance
The 2022 champion, Rybakina, is the favorite to win the title again. The Russian-born Kazakh, seeded fourth, has impressed with a tournament-high of 31 aces and has been broken only six times. Standing at 1.83 meters (6 feet), Rybakina has smashed 134 winners and spent just over six hours on court across five rounds.
“Of course, I have such amazing memories from 2022, and I’m just enjoying every time I step on the court, especially when I play well. It’s just really amazing,” Rybakina said.
Krejcikova’s Resilience
Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion, has spent more than three hours longer on court than Rybakina to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final. Her journey included the tournament’s longest women’s match in the first round, a three-hour and 14-minute battle against Veronika Kudermetova.
Overcoming injury and illness earlier this year, the 28-year-old Czech has shown remarkable resilience. “It was a very, very difficult period,” said Krejcikova, the 31st seed.
Paolini and Vekic’s Breakthrough
In the other semi-final, Jasmine Paolini faces Donna Vekic. Paolini, who once seemed destined to remain on the fringes of the women’s game, has had a breakthrough year. Previously, she had never advanced past the second round in her 16 Grand Slam appearances. However, she reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, won her first WTA 1,000-level title in Dubai, and was runner-up at the French Open.
The 28-year-old Italian, ranked seventh, is now in the Wimbledon semi-finals, despite having never won a grass-court match before last month. “I didn’t realize before, but my coach was telling me that I could play well here. I wasn’t believing too much,” Paolini said. She has broken serve 28 times during the tournament.
Vekic, 28, is in her first Grand Slam semi-final in her 43rd attempt. She has hit 28 aces in five rounds and benefits from the guidance of Pam Shriver, a three-time Wimbledon semi-finalist in the 1980s. “She has all the experience, so she can help me in some crucial moments. She’s great fun. stated Vekic, from Croatia.
As these players prepare for their semi-final matches, the excitement builds at Wimbledon. Rybakina’s dominant serve, Krejcikova’s resilience, Paolini’s breakthrough performance, and Vekic’s experience all contribute to a highly anticipated clash. The world will be watching to see who advances to the final, bringing them one step closer to the prestigious Wimbledon title.
