Emerson Jones achieves a 34-year first by reaching both the girls’ singles and girls’ doubles semifinals at Wimbledon 2024.
London, Great Britain , 13 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Steely concentration was required as Emerson Jones competed in the Wimbledon girls’ singles quarterfinals today.
Former world No.1 Kim Clijsters was among the crowd gathered courtside to watch her in action at the All England Club, while on a neighbouring court just metres away, seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic was warming up for his semifinal match in front of swarming fans.
“I did, but I tried not to,” Jones said when asked if she had noticed the tennis legends while competing.
“I just tried to concentrate on my match because sometimes, actually a lot of the time, I lose concentration and then that doesn’t go well. So I just tried to focus on me.”
The 16-year-old from the Gold Coast had no problems continuing her impressive run, scoring a comfortable 6-2 6-3 victory against Poland’s Monika Stankiewicz.
This effort sees Jones become only the fourth Australian to progress to a girls’ singles semifinal at Wimbledon in the past 30 years and the first to achieve the feat since Ash Barty 13 years earlier.
| Wimbledon girls’ singles Australian semifinalists in past 30 years |
|
| Player | Year |
| Bryanne Stewart | 1997 |
| Jelena Dokic | 1998 |
| Ash Barty | 2011 |
| Emerson Jones | 2024 |
Jones described reaching her first Wimbledon semifinal as “pretty great”.
“I wasn’t probably expecting to get to semis, I was honestly just focusing on whoever is in front of me,” said the third seed. “But obviously it’s a great feeling.”
Jones next plays sixth seed Iva Joric for a place in the final. She beat the 16-year-old American earlier this year in the final at an ITF J300 tournament in Australia.
> READ: Jones accomplishes 24-year first with victory at Traralgon Junior International
Jones, a member of Tennis Australia’s National Tennis Academy, has also advanced to the Wimbledon girls’ doubles semifinals alongside Italian partner Vittoria Paganetti.
The sixth seeds recorded a 6-3 6-3 victory today against Japan’s Reina Goto and Spaniard Ruth Roura Llaverias in the quarterfinals.
This is the deepest run from an Australian in a Wimbledon girls’ doubles draw since Priscilla Hon made the semifinals 10 years ago.
With this effort, Jones also becomes the first Australian to reach both the Wimbledon girls’ singles and…
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