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ARYNA Sabalenka reached her maiden Grand Slam semi-final with a straight-sets win over Ons Jabeur at Wimbledon.
The Belarusian won 6-4 6-3 against Tunisia’s Jabeur – the first Arab woman to reach the last eight at the All England Club.
World number four Sabalenka, 23, will play Karolina Pliskova on Thursday for a place in the final.
“I’m really happy with this win. It’s always a tough match against Ons,” Sabalenka said.
“She’s such a great player, an amazing person.
“I’m happy it looks like everything is working for me. It’s really tricky, shots on the grass – it’s sometimes hard to do anything with the ball.
“It fits my game and I’m really enjoying my time on the court.”
Before Tuesday’s match, both Sabalenka and Jabeur had won a Tour-leading 33 matches in 2021, and little could separate them in the early exchanges.
Jabeur – who defeated Grand Slam champions Venus Williams, Garbine Muguruza and Iga Swiatek on her march to the last eight – held break point in a five-minute opening game, but could not take her chance, and Sabalenka held with a pacy serve down the middle that her opponent could not return in.
The next eight games went with serve, the big-hitting Sabalenka notching a 122mph effort, before she started to assert her dominance in the 10th.
She squandered four break and set points, before capitalising on the fifth when Jabeur netted.
Jabeur looked to be cruising to a break in the opening game of the second set but allowed Sabalenka to hold after three break points, the next two games then going against the serve.
Sabalenka crucially broke Jabeur in the eighth, before saving a break point and clinching the win on her first match point with a backhand down the line.
Pliskova races through
Eighth seed Pliskova brushed aside Viktorija Golubic in straight sets to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.
Pliskova ruthlessly clinched a 6-2 6-2 victory over the Swiss in 81 minutes.
The Czech’s consistent serve and dominance from the baseline was the difference, and she has yet to drop a set in the tournament.
In their only previous meeting Golubic, ranked 66th in the world, fought back from a set and 4-2 down in a 2016 Fed Cup semi-final by defeat Pliskova.
Faced with an identical situation on Court One, Golubic had three break-point opportunities in a hard-fought seventh game, but had no answer to Pliskova’s powerful serve.
Golubic saved three match points a game later, but Pliskova seized her opportunity at the fourth time of asking.
Pliskova’s progress to the last four at Wimbledon has signalled a revival of fortunes following a difficult year.
The 29-year-old was knocked out of the French Open in the second round, her defence of the Eastbourne International lasted only one match and she then slipped out of the top 10 for the first time in five years.
“I am super happy to be through,” Pliskova said on court.
“I feel my game is quite good the last two weeks in practices and matches. We had some good preparation and hopefully we can continue.
“I am going to enjoy this moment because it has never happened for me.”
Former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber made it through after a convincing 6-2 6-3 win over Karolina Muchova in 95 minutes.
Kerber, who won the tournament in 2018 and is the only previous winner left in the draw, wrapped up with the first set with ease and had the composure to see off the Czech’s spirited effort in the second.
The German 25th seed will face world number one Ashleigh Barty or Australian compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic for a place in Saturday’s final.
BBC Sport
– July 6, 2021 @ 18:25 GMT |
Tags: Wimbledon 2021: Aryna Sabalenka reaches first Grand Slam semi-final with win over Ons Jabeur
