Former champion Elena Rybakina effortlessly cruised into the Wimbledon semi-finals, delivering a clinical 6-3, 6-2 victory over Elina Svitolina on the Centre Court. The Kazakh powerhouse demonstrated a level of play that consistently outmatched her Ukrainian opponent, securing the win in just 62 minutes.
Rybakina Reaches Wimbledon Semi-finals
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, will now compete in the last four of the prestigious Grand Slam tournament for the first time since her title triumph. The 25-year-old will face either Jelena Ostapenko or Barbora Krejcikova, who are set to battle each other on Wednesday, in a bid to reach the final.
The opening set saw both players trading early breaks, but Rybakina soon gained the upper hand, breaking Svitolina’s serve to love when trailing 4-3. The Kazakh carried her momentum into the second set, immediately breaking her opponent with a deep forehand shot into the corner.
Rybakina broke Svitolina once more at 4-2 and then confidently served out the match, ending Svitolina’s run at the Championships. The Ukrainian, a former world number three, was unable to replicate her semi-final appearance from last year’s edition.
“Ahead of the match, the 29-year-old Svitolina had spoken of the ‘extremely tough’ experience of competing at Wimbledon following the Russian strikes that killed dozens of people and seriously damaged a children’s hospital in her native Ukraine.”
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