The key events:
Anisimova secures a crucial hold at 30 in the opener of the second set, while Tomljanovic plays a loose backhand for 0-15, then slips for 15-30, so he now has to deal with two break points. Can Rybakina lift it? Yes, she can! Stuck in the corner from the forehand, she caresses a cross fall with a magnificent disguise, if anything imperceptible may be that, and now leads 4-2 in the second! We’re heating up!
Back on No1, we serve in the second set, Tomljanovic leads 6-4 2-3.
Anisimovz, as I hope she is known in the above, sticks a blinding forehand across the crosscourt for 15-all, but on 30-all, she hooks another one wide, as the ball was there to be punished. And when the next pass is long, it’s the first set for Halep, 6-2. She looks so in control of her game and herself, and what a joy to write this about someone who has struggled to fulfill their potential for so long.
Anisimova wins her first match since 1-1, forcing Halep to serve for the set at 5-2. She thinks she has the ability to win a major, more so, presumably, given the wide range of others who have done so recently — she’s better than many of them. But she’s not preparing today, and if she doesn’t stabilize soon, she’ll be back in the locker room alone with her regrets.
It does not happen for Rybakina, who quickly finds himself 0-40 down. A second-serve ace reduces the backlog, but just as his forehand dictates the next point, a reckless backhand drops long. Meanwhile, Anisimova has chances to regain a break, a= but a forehand wide gives Halep four in a row and 5-1.
Good morning! Tomljanovic misses a forehand on each corner, giving Rybakina 0-30, after which my screen jumps back to 15-40. And although Rybakina’s approach waited to be hit, Tomljanovic cooled down, his pick-up allowing for easy storage. And, although I criticized this approach, coming to the net was a decent change from Rybakina, it will make his opponent think. She trails 4-6 2-0.
Halep has Anisimova’s number here, overtaking her from behind and also hitting more consistently. She secures the double break for 4-1, while Rybakina hits back with a hold at 30.
Rybakina comes in at 15-30, but a wide serve followed by a clean-up forehand takes Tomljanovic less than two points clear. Another big serve follows, then Rybakina widens with a forehand return, and it’s the set, 6-4. She is by far the best player so far as, on Cross, Anisimova unleashes a forehand that forces Halep to slip, but she nevertheless consolidates her break to lead 3-1.
On Anisimova, our resident coach is baccalaureatek, Calvin Betton saying that “Anisimova is good. I’ve been saying that for a few years. Nice ball striker, good brain, great BH. She just likes to socialize a lot.
Consecutive aces help Rybakina to 40-0, and although Tomljanovic wins a few points, another big serve forces his opponent to serve the set at 5-4. Meanwhile, a reckless forehand from Anisimova lands long, giving Halep a break point, and she catches it in no time to lead 2-1.
Anisimova secures a quick hold in the opener of the game and Halep does the same, as Tomljanovic plays a superb game for 5-3. She moves beautifully, stays super low, punishes the ball and smashes everything. Rybakina will now serve to stay in the set.
A much needed love hold for Rybakina, making it 3-4, but can she find anything on Tomljanovic’s serve?
Things are not going so well for Rybakina – like Norrie yesterday, she doesn’t seem to feel the ball. And unlike Norrie, she doesn’t have the best of five to find herself, so she has to get going fast. Meanwhile, another easy hold gives Tomljanovic 4-2.
Leading 40-30, Rybakina does not waver, hitting an ace in the middle for 2-3 while, in the middle, Halep and Anisimova came out. This might just be the match of the day, and although Anisimova has a decent chance, Halep has beaten everyone she’s played, and she’s played against some good players – Muchova, Frech, Flipkens and Badosa.
Tomljanovic is the most consistent player so far, calm and focused – she serves well and also makes sure to force Rybakina to play an extra shot when she is late in the rally. But from 40-0, two errors give his opponent a snort only for Rybakina to fire a backhand. Three straight games for tomljanovic, and a 3-1 lead.
Rybakina settles down. On 30-all, she has the chance to hit a backhand winner and, very deliberately, doesn’t schmeiss the cover but wisely guides it into the corner. But a decent comeback from Tomljanovic takes us to hell – she’s not waiting to be asked here, another player determined to attack what could be a fleeting opportunity. Or maybe, given that she also took that step last season, I’m being unfair, and a couple of base hits earn her the game’s first break point… and when Rybakina hits what should be a comfortable put away just in front of her, she has a chance…but can’t control her backhand riposte. regardless: A mediocre forehand from Rybakina flies wide, giving him another shot, but Rybakina plays his best rally of the game so far, hitting forehands before administering the drop. But when she doesn’t do enough with a volley, Tomljanovic hoists in a lob for a clean winner – that’s a nice shot – except when a big serve opens the court, Rybakina again chooses her opponent’s side and turns. puts on the stretch undoes his jump to an overhead. Tomljanovic breaks and leads 2-1.
Leading 15-0, Rybakina sends Tomljanovic rushing to recover and looks set to win the point, but again Tomljanovic finds a backhand, brilliantly arcing beyond the substantial 6-inch Rybakina wingspan, entering, for a clean winner. She cares about love, and it’s 1-1.
Nice start from both players Rybakina paying out a huge serve and then Tomljanovic smashing in a brilliant backhand return down the line for a huge winner. Rybakina then goes long on the backhand – it won’t help her nerves – but she responds well, winning three quick points for 1-0.
OK, let’s go ! Rybakina to serve…
The two bump into a covered short. It’s almost time.
But in progress, first we have Tomljanovic against Rybakina on Court No. 1, aAnd I must say that it is difficult to find a path for the first. I think Rybakina will have the advantage in all technical departments, and although Tomljanovic is more experienced, Rybakina is a top-notch talent who thinks this is his stage.
Something I didn’t know: Anisimova has picked up 108 winners so far this fortnight, more than anyone else in the competition. Her victory over the in-form Coco Gauff was particularly impressive – she lost the first set 7-6, then won the second and third 1 and 2. She played against Halep last month and lost 1 and 2, but Darren Cahill, Halep’s former on/off coach in his corner, and if anyone can come up with a winning game plan, it’s him.
Preamble
Ons Jabeur [3] against Tatjana Maria, Novak Djokovic [1] against Cameron Norrie [9]; we all had that as our first two semi-finals, right? Of course we did, just as we knew coming today we’d be watching Simona Halep [16] against Amanda Anisimova [20]Ajla Tomljanovic vs Elena Rybakina [17]Taylor Fritz [11] against Rafael Nadal and Cristian Garín against Nick Kyrgios.
There was something really special about yesterday’s games, with all four going the distance with the four winners coming from behind – and it’s no coincidence that of the eight players we saw alone two expected to be involved in the quarter-finals. As a result, we’ve had the frenzied desperation of those looking to seize an opportunity that may never come again, the ravenous rage of those looking to make a career breakthrough – and an all-time great who shaped his legacy by haranguing himself. in the kazi.
It is the same today. Tomljanovic and Garín, both good players, may never reach this stage again; Rybakina is a monstrous talent seeking to announce itself to the world; with Fritz, Anisimova and Kyrgios falling somewhere in between. Then if to that we add Nadal, probably and improbably halfway to a grand slam, and Halep, a frail former genius champion fighting back after injury, we have ourselves a flammable gumbo of everything that makes sports – and Wimbledon in particular – so thrilling and ridiculously engrossing.
Play: Court 1 at 1:00 p.m. BST, Center Court at 1:30 p.m. BST
