Venue: All England Club Dates: 3-16 July |
Coverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app. More coverage details here. |
Defending champion Elena Rybakina lost in the Wimbledon quarter-finals as Ons Jabeur avenged her defeat in last year’s final.
Sixth seed Jabeur came from a set down to win 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-1 in a reverse of the match 12 months ago.
The Tunisian clinched the second set with a timely break of serve at 5-4 and then dominated the decider.
Jabeur will play Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals on Thursday after she powered past Madison Keys.
Belarusian second seed Sabalenka beat the American 6-2 6-4 – keeping alive her quest to win a first Wimbledon title and replace Iga Swiatek as world number one.
Rybakina’s exit means there is guaranteed to be a first-time Wimbledon champion this year.
Jabeur was far more aggressive than she was last year against a player known for her powerful shot-making, with the Tunisian hitting 35 winners to Rybakina’s 21.
“I said I am going for my shots because if you try to go easy with her it is not going to work,” Jabeur said.
“It is not easy playing her but I wish we could exchange this match for the finals last year.”
Rybakina had only lost her serve once in the entire tournament before the quarter-final but the Kazakh was put under constant pressure by Jabeur.
Jabeur broke twice in the first set before losing it on a tie-break and, crucially, once in the second.
With the second set in the balance, Jabeur hit a fine backhand return winner to start the game and then forced Rybakina to twice push backhands into the tramlines.
That game levelled the match and was the second in a run of five games in a row for the Tunisian which ultimately decided the contest.
Rybakina threatened to overturn Jabeur’s 3-1 lead in the decider but, helped by two tight challenges, the Tunisian fought off danger before closing out the win to set up a last-four meeting with Sabalenka.
“I saw she won very quick which I wasn’t happy with,” Jabeur said of Sabalenka. “She is an amazing player. She hits very fast like Elena so it will be very challenging.
“It will be a difficult match but I will keep this spirit on the court and hopefully the crowd will be with me.”
Still a ‘positive few weeks’ for Rybakina
Rybakina’s title defence at SW19 began just four weeks after she withdrew from her third-round French Open match with illness.
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