Wimbledon Womens day 10

Elena Rybakina destroyed the semi-final hope of Elina Svitolina with a 6-3, 6-2 victory on Wednesday which carried the 2022 champion into another Wimbledon semi-final.

The Kazakh seeded fourth defeated her Ukrainian opponent in 61 minutes, with Svitolina likely still in pain from the Russian aerial attack on Kyiv this week which hit a major children’s hospital.

Rybakina will play for a place in Saturday’s final against Barbora Krejcikova, who eliminated 13th seed Jelena Ostapenko in a battle of former Roland Garros winners 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Rybakina repeated her victory over Svitolina from Paris last month as the pari played for the second time on grass after 2021 Eastbourne.

“It’s always tough to play Elina, she’s a fighter,” the winner said. “No matter the score it was not as easy as it looked.

“I have many memories from 2022 here, I always enjoy stepping onto this (Centre) court. It feels amazing.”

Rybakina credited her “aggressive game and huge serve” for helping her through to victory.

“Of course I want to keep going until the end.”

Svitolina said she barely had a chance: “It was extremely tough today, I tried everything in my power,.

“Nothing was really working, there were so few chances and I didn’t take them.

“She was striking the ball well. She didnt’ let me into the match. 

Krejcikova has won both of her previous matches against Rybakina, with their last meeting in 2022.

But closing out against Ostapenko was not easy, with Krejcikova broken on a double-fault while serving for victory leading 5-4 in the second set.

The Czech who suffered with injury in the first half of the season and won her only match in early February before returning to form during the summer grass season ended up in a tiebreaker.

Krejcikova took a 5-2 lead and produced a serve winnon on match point to go through to the final four.

“I don’t have any words, I only finished the match a minute ago,” she told an on-court interviewer.

“I left everything out there. I’m so happy this is a great moment for me, unbelievable.

It was a very difficult period for me, even before Wimbledon,” she said of her injury troubles.

“There were many doubts from inside (her team) and outside. I’m super-happy that I never gave up and am standing here now in the semis.”

Main photo:- Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd