Elena Rybakina, seeded fourth and Wimbledon's 2022 champion, dominated Elina Svitolina to secure a spot in the women's singles semifinals at Wimbledon 2024. Their quarterfinal clash on Wednesday at Centre Court saw Rybakina deliver a decisive straight sets victory, 6-3, 6-2, advancing in just 61 minutes. This win marks Rybakina's third Grand Slam semifinal appearance and extends her head-to-head lead over Svitolina to 3-2.
In another thrilling quarterfinal, Barbora Krejcikova, seeded 31st, rallied from a 1-4 deficit in the second set to defeat Jelena Ostapenko, seeded 13th, 6-4, 7-6(4) in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion, secured her first Wimbledon semifinal berth and will face Rybakina next. Krejcikova aims to maintain her unbeaten record against Rybakina in Grand Slam encounters, having won their previous two meetings.
Rybakina, known for her impressive Wimbledon record, now boasts a 19-2 win/loss streak in main-draw matches at the tournament. After reaching the Round of 16 in her debut in 2021, she clinched the title in 2022 by defeating Ons Jabeur in the final. Despite a quarterfinal loss last year to Jabeur, Rybakina remains a formidable force at Wimbledon.
In the Open Era, Rybakina joins Maria Sharapova, Billie Jean King, and Chris Evert as one of the few players to win 19 of their first 21 singles matches at Wimbledon. She looks to add to her impressive tally when she meets Krejcikova in Thursday's semifinals.
Krejcikova, meanwhile, rebounded from a tense second set to secure victory in the tiebreak, advancing to her second Grand Slam semifinal after her triumph at Roland Garros in 2021. Her strategic play against Ostapenko, including crafty returns and effective serving, proved decisive despite Ostapenko's strong form throughout the tournament.
Both Rybakina and Krejcikova are set for an exciting semifinal showdown, each aiming to continue their impressive runs at Wimbledon 2024.
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