Tennis - Rybakina fast-tracked into the Wimbledon semi-finals
Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina is two wins away from her second Wimbledon triumph. The world number four from Kazakhstan dominated her sovereign 6:3, 6:2 victory in the quarterfinals against Ukrainian Elina Svitolina and advanced again to the semifinals in Southwest London. Her success was secured in just 61 minutes.
In the semifinals, Rybakina will face Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic on Thursday. The Czech won the duel between two former French Open champions 6:4, 7:6 (7:4) against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia.
In 2022, Rybakina celebrated her title win and her only Grand Slam success at Wimbledon. In the course of this year's tournament, German player Laura Siegemund was the only one to win a set against her, but had to concede defeat.
"I have such great memories of 2022," said the 25-year-old Rybakina. She may not be the favorite, but of course she wants to continue her way in Wimbledon to the end.
In the other semifinal, Italian French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini and Croatian Donna Vekic will play for a place in the final. The title will be awarded on Saturday.
Rybakina's victory over Svitolina in the quarterfinals was a testament to Germany's absence, as the Ukrainian was the highest-ranked German opponent she faced during this year's tournament. Yelina Svitolina, hailing from Ukraine, had a tough time keeping up with Rybakina's fast pace, ultimately losing in London. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) recognized Rybakina's success at Wimbledon as a significant achievement for tennis in Kazakhstan. The tennis world eagerly awaits a potential Wimbledon Tournament victory for Rybakina, as she continues her journey in London, the heart of tennis in Great Britain.
