Tennis

Wimbledon: Ons Jabeur knocks out defending champion Elena Rybakina

Aryna Sabalenka powers past Madison Keys to reach semi-final and set up match with Jabeur

Ons Jabeur celebrates victory over Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA Wire
Ons Jabeur celebrates victory over Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA Wire
Wed Jul 12 2023 - 16:00

Defending champion Elena Rybakina is out of Wimbledon after losing 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-1 to last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur in the quarter-finals.

The sixth seed, who also lost to Iga Swiatek in the US Open final last year, will take on second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the last four after fighting from a set down to defeat Rybakina 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-1.

Jabeur missed a set point in the opening set but fought back impressively, hitting more winners and making fewer errors than her opponent, who has established a fledgling big three in the women’s game this season with Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.

They had not faced each other since last year’s final, where Jabeur took the first set before Rybakina fought back to win in three.

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It was the Kazakh who made the first move with a break to lead 3-1 but Jabeur hit back immediately, breaking back to love.

The hard, flat hitting and ferocious serve of Rybakina made it hard for Jabeur to bring her tricks into play too often but a lovely angled backhand pass put her 6-5 ahead.

Rybakina, who was beaten by Sabalenka in the Australian Open final, had not dropped serve since the first set of the tournament so to break twice in a set was a notable achievement for Jabeur.

However, the sixth seed was unable to serve out the set, seeing a set point go begging as Rybakina engineered a break back with a series of searing backhands.

Both players looked to be feeling the occasion but it was Rybakina who handled her nerves better in the tie-break, helped by her most potent weapon.

The Rybakina serve also got her out of a hole down 0-1 0-40 in the second set, Jabeur’s frustration obvious as the break points were snatched away.

But the defending champion was powerless to stop Jabeur when she applied pressure at 5-4, the Tunisian leaping to put away a simple volley before bouncing to her chair.

When a second successive break of serve followed to start the deciding set, the crowd began to sense the finish line.

Jabeur was playing better and better, coping brilliantly with the power of Rybakina and hitting plenty of her own winners, particularly down the line.

A second break of serve, clinched with a precision backhand, gave her the chance to claim victory, and a Rybakina forehand into the net sealed the deal.

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka powered into the semi-finals at Wimbledon on Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-4 victory against the American Madison Keys. The Belarusian second seed, who won her first grand slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year, romped through the first set but had to recover from 4-2, 40-0 down in the second to clinch victory. If she reaches the final she will also become world one for the first time.

Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka returns the ball to US player Madison Keys. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty
Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka returns the ball to US player Madison Keys. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty

“It’s amazing to be back in the semi-finals,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview immediately after the match. “I can’t wait to play my second semi-final. Hopefully I can do better than last time. It was a really tough match, that game at 2-4, 40-0 it was really important. Thank you for the support – even though you supported her more – I still really enjoyed playing in front of you guys.”

Sabalenka began well, breaking Keys in a six-minute first game with some thunderous hitting. Keys got on the board for 1-2 but after being broken again for 4-1, the American consulted the doctor and took some tablets.

Sabalenka wrapped up the set soon after but Keys, in her second quarter-final here, hit back well and when she broke serve and led 4-2, 40-0 in the second, it looked like she would take it to a decider. But Sabalenka found her groove again, winning 12 straight points to take control.

A horrible volley over the baseline by Keys gave her another break for 5-4 and though the American saved one match point, Sabalenka sealed the win with an unreturnable serve.

Sabalenka lost against Ash Barty in the semi-finals two years ago but is overflowing with confidence after her win in Australia at the start of this year.

“I think since that semi-final I changed a lot, I did a lot of work, I’m a different player now,” she said. “Since I was little I was dreaming about Wimbledon title. It’s something special. Wimbledon is different, it’s more special.”