Unseeded Vondrousova holds off Pegula to also advance
LONDON: Elina Svitolina had a baby nine months ago. When she returned to competition in April, her ranking was out of the top-1000. The Ukrainian played low-level ITF tournaments to get back to winning ways. S he came into Wimbledon on a wildcard.
As the 28-year-old waved to fans on Centre Court, her tear-stained face sporting a summer smile after putting out world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, it seemed like her return journey had come full circle.
The Ukrainian is in the last four at the All England Club for the second time in her career. She goes up against Czech left-hander Marketa Vondrousova in the semifinals and so obviously is far from done here this week, but as far as stories go there's a wonderful coming together in an outsider scalping the world No. 1, a four-time major champion, who won the French Open last month.
Svitolina came through 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2 after conceding the second set, which followed the 15-minute rain break when the roof was rolled over Centre Court. Svitolina took an early lead in the tie-break, but couldn't follow through and it appeared that momentum had shifted the way of the top-seeded Pole.
In the decider, Svitolina did well to keep it all together and charged out to a 4-1 lead, breaking in the third and fifth games before serving out the match.
Svitolina is the third wild card to reach the women's semi finals at Wimbledon, but the first to do so in over a decade.
Though she was ranked No. 76 at the start of Wimbledon, courtesy her run to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last month, Svitolina's ranking was outside the main draw cut-off at the entry deadline in May. When Svitolina and Swiatek met at the net after almost three hours in the middle, they came together in a touching embrace. Svitolina said: "Iga is not only a great champion, she's also an unbelievable person. She was one of the first ones to help Ukrainian people and was a huge help for Ukraine, so for sure it's not easy to play against someone that you share a lot of good moments with."
Svitolina said she was looking for a beer following her quarterfinal win.
A huge fan of Harry Styles she'd probably hum Matilda as she sipped a mug. Rest and recuperation before the semifinals on Friday. Earlier, Vondrousova rallied from 1-4, 0-30 in the final set to put out the No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Italy's eighth-seeded Jannik Sinner made his first Grand Slam semifinals, when he topped the world No. 92 Roman Safiullin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in a last eight clash.
The Italian eighth seed recovered from a mid-match wobble to win and will face either Novak Djokovic or Andrey Rublev for a place in Sunday's final. "It was obviously tough, " said the 21-year-old, who squandered a two-sets-to-love lead against Djokovic in last year's quarterfinal. "I was a break up in the second. I got low mentally a bit so this is a part we are working on and I'm very happy how I reacted in the next couple of sets."
