It was a race to the finishing line between Elena Rybakina and Barbora Krejcikova as both women's semi-finals looked to reach a crescendo at the same time. But it was the former who got there first with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 success over Elina Svitolina.
Krejcikova looks potentially set to be going into a third set against Jelena Ostapenko just as Rybakina was finishing her clash against the Ukrainian in what looked on paper to be the most close tie of the day. But it certainly wasn't as Rybakina produced again.
Case and point during the win was 28 winners vs only eight from Svitolina. It is a third career Grand Slam semi-final for the 25-year-old who has been the favourite since basically the start of the tournament.
With the demise of Aryna Sabalenka due to withdrawal, Coco Gauff losing to Emma Navarro and Iga Swiatek also being dumped out, Rybakina who won the title in 2022 stood out. She only didn't mount a challenge last year either due to illness which stifled her after Roland Garros and left her basically unable to walk no mind play high level tennis.
But it seems likely that she will head towards the latter half of the tournament as the favourite to seal the title and there will be no strange winner either this year after Marketa Vondrousova ascended SW19 last year defeating Ons Jabeur. She would face Donna Vekic or Jasmine Paolini in the final if she gets past Krejcikova or Ostapenko who would be favourites too if they beat Rybakina. Both of course like Rybakina are Grand Slam champions.
But for Rybakina, she continues to do what she sets out to do and that is win tennis matches and dominate under the radar and with little fuss. The 2022 champion is through and looking as good as ever.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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