For the third time in a year, Ons Jabeur has the chance to win her first Grand Slam tournament. The 28-year-old Tunisian reached the final at the 136th All England Championships in a kind of anticipated final like last year and like the US Open.
The sixth in the world rankings won a high-class and exciting match against Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus 6:7 (5:7), 6:4, 6:3 and thus also blocked her opponent’s chance of taking first place in the world rankings from Monday.
After 2:19 hours, Jabeur ended the gripping duel with an ace. “I’m very proud, my old self would probably have lost this match today,” she said afterwards.
In the duel for the Venus Rosewater Dish, Jabeur meets Marketa Vondrousova, who is playing for the second time in one of the four most important tournaments: The 24-year-old Czech, who lost the final of the French Open in 2019, prevailed in the first semi-final of the surprisingly clear 6: 3, 6: 3 against the four years older Elina Switolina from Ukraine.
Switolina defeated world number one Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
Wimbledon: Vondrousova first finalist
Elina Switolina’s fairy tale is over, but Marketa Vondrousova’s wondrous journey continues: The 24-year-old Czech, who had already reached the final of the French Open in 2019, was surprisingly clearly opposed in the first semi-final of the 136th All England Championships the four-year-old Ukrainian through. It was 6: 3, 6: 3 after just 74 minutes.
Vondrousova seemed to give up the match again in the second set when she missed five balls to make it 5-0. She survived this phase of weakness and is the first unseeded horse to reach the final since 1963. “I can’t believe it,” said the left-hander, “I’m just grateful to be here.” Last year she was injured for six months.
In the duel for the Venus Rosewater Dish, the Czech will meet last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur on Saturday (3 p.m. CEST / Sky). Vondrousova lost the 2019 final in Paris to Ash Barty (Australia).
In the duel with number 42 in the world rankings, Switolina, who was ranked 76th, was hardly able to build on her strong performances in the tournament so far. In the quarter-finals, the 28-year-old, who became a mother in October and only returned to the WTA tour three months ago, eliminated the world number one Iga Swiatek (Poland), previously in an emotional round of 16 the Belarusian Wiktoria Asarenka.
After her surprising final appearance in Roland Garros four years ago, Vondrousova climbed to 14th place in the world rankings, but then fell further and further back last year due to repeated injuries and an operation on her wrist, at times even to 148th place.
Wimbledon: Krawietz/Pütz miss the final
Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz missed the great opportunity for a historic coup. In the semifinals of the doubles competition, she lost to number 15 seeded Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (Spain/Argentina) 4-6, 3-6. German men’s doubles had only reached the final of the All England Club in 1913 and 1938, where they lost.
The number ten seeded German duo, who have only been playing together on the ATP tour since this year, did not fight for a break chance against the strong serving Granollers/Zeballos. On the other hand, their experienced opponents consistently took advantage of their opportunities. To make it 1-0 in the first and 4-3 in the second set, they each took the serve from Pütz, and then Krawietz to win the match after 69 minutes.
So far, there have only been two German double winners at Wimbledon. Philipp Petzschner won in 2010 alongside Jürgen Melzer (Austria), Michael Stich won in 1992 with John McEnroe (USA) by beating the Americans Jim Grabb and Richey Reneberg 19:17 in the fifth set. In the 1938 final, Henner Henkel/Georg von Metaxa lost to Don Budge/Gene Mako (USA), in 1913 Heinrich Kleinschroth/Friedrich Wilhelm Rahe lost to Charles Dixon/Herbert Roper Barrett (Great Britain).
2023-07-13 16:46:00
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