Novak Djokovic is poised to match Roger Federer’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles after reaching his 46th major semifinal. Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina, the defending champion, suffered a defeat as Ons Jabeur sought revenge from last year’s final.
Jabeur, the sixth seed, staged an impressive comeback to secure a 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-1 victory, reversing the outcome of their clash twelve months ago. Jabeur’s next opponent in the semi-finals will be Aryna Sabalenka, who displayed a dominant performance to eliminate Madison Keys.
Sabalenka, the second seed from Belarus, triumphed over the American with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-4. With this win, she keeps her hopes alive for clinching her first Wimbledon title and dethroning Iga Swiatek as the world number one.
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Rybakina’s departure from the tournament guarantees the emergence of a first-time women’s singles champion this year.
In an exhilarating match, Djokovic rebounded from losing the opening set against Russia’s Andrey Rublev. With a final score of 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3, Djokovic secured a spot in the Wimbledon semifinals.
Initially slow to find his rhythm, Djokovic recovered in the second set, displaying a dominant performance. He then proceeded to seize control of the match, comfortably winning the third and fourth sets.
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Djokovic will now face Italy’s eighth seed, Jannik Sinner, in a crucial match that will determine a place in the final. Sinner, in his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal, defeated Roman Safiullin of Russia 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
This victory against Rublev marks the second time Djokovic has triumphed over the Russian player this year, having previously defeated him in the Australian Open quarterfinals en route to winning the championship.
Expressing his respect for Rublev, Djokovic acknowledged him as the toughest opponent he has faced in a Grand Slam and praised his dedication and continuous efforts to improve.
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Djokovic’s upcoming semifinal clash with Sinner will be a rematch of their quarterfinal encounter at last year’s Wimbledon, where Djokovic rallied from a two-set deficit to claim a 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory. The two players have not met since then.
At only 21 years old, Sinner is making waves in men’s tennis, becoming the third Italian man to reach the final four at a grass-court major after Nicola Pietrangeli and Matteo Berrettini.
As the 10th seed, Sinner has already reached the quarterfinals for the second time in his career and showcases great potential as a powerful baseline player.
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