NEW DELHI: Elena Rybakina, the 2022 winner from Kazakhstan, dominated Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in a swift 6-3, 6-2 victory on Wednesday, securing her place in the semi-finals. The match, which took place on Centre Court, lasted a mere 61 minutes.
Despite an early setback when Svitolina broke her serve in the opening game, Rybakina quickly regained her composure and broke back immediately. From that point on, the Kazakh player was in complete control, breaking the Ukrainian's serve four times throughout the match.
Queen Camilla was present in the stands, witnessing Rybakina's impressive performance. The former champion will now face Barbora Krejcikova in the semi-finals as she continues her quest to defend her Wimbledon title.
"It's always tough to play against Elina, she's a great player, great fighter. No matter the score, it is not as easy as it might look like," AFP quoted Rybakina as saying.
"Of course I have such amazing memories from 2022 and I'm just enjoying every time I step on the court, especially when I play good. It's just really amazing."
Rybakina, the highest-ranking player left in the women's draw, said she did not like to be labelled as the favourite, adding: "I have an aggressive style of game, I have a huge serve so it's a big advantage."
The 25-year-old Russian-born player hit 28 winners compared to Svitolina's eight, which included seven aces.
In the other semi-final, Czech player Krejcikova defeated Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets, marking a clash between former French Open champions.
