Key events
First set: Vekic 4-2 Paolini* (*denotes next server)
Paolini has fast become a Wimbledon crowd favourite this year, with her near-constant smile. You wouldn’t blame her if she was frowning here, given the score, but she’s still able to laugh at herself when she appeals to Hawk-Eye after a Vekic ace and realises it was well in. 15-0. Which is soon 40-15. A second double fault from Vekic and it’s 40-30. It’ll be interesting to see – if Vekic stays out in front in this set – whether she’ll blink closer to the line. She hit five doubles in one game in the previous round. But Vekic doesn’t derail herself here and backs up the break with a hold to 30.
Vekic breaks: Vekic* 3-2 Paolini (*denotes next server)
I’ll be honest, I thought the occasion may be too much for Vekic this afternoon, but she appears to be relishing it so far. Paolini, remember, despite her inexperience on the big stage before this year, did reach the French Open final last month. A wonderful point at 30-15, the best of the match so far, they’re sending each other all over the shop, and Vekic triumphs when she shows great touch with a deft half-volley and Paolini is left scrambling around on the grass. 30-all. 30-40, when Paolini nets. And Vekic strikes when Paolini nets another forehand!
First set: Vekic 2-2 Paolini* (*denotes next server)
The amazing Ash Barty says on commentary that as a player you’re looking to get into a position where you can make the most of your biggest strength. For Vekic, Barty says, that’s the serve. For Paolini it’s constructing the points, and getting it on to the forehand. Vekic’s speed and depth on serve is relentless in this game. 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game.
Promising start to the surprise semifinal between Vekic and Paolini. Both newcomers at this level at #Wimbledon and neither looks trapped in the headlights
Also, there’s sun!#getty pic.twitter.com/Tp63PGYHoJ
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) July 11, 2024
First set: Vekic* 1-2 Paolini (*denotes next server)
This is an interesting contrast in styles: Vekic’s serve and power against Paolini’s high-energy hussle. But for all of Vekic’s power, she’s such a languid figure on court between points, while Paolini is jumping around everywhere. Paolini is hopping on the baseline nervously at 30-all when Vekic attempts to pull off another drop shot that Paolini absolutely didn’t see coming … but it doesn’t quite clear the net. A let-off for Paolini. That was nearly break point. But instead the Italian holds to 30.
First set: Vekic 1-1 Paolini* (*denotes next server)
Vekic smokes a backhand winner down the line for 15-all. And hits another winner into the same spot, this time with her forehand. 30-15. She looked, at times, quite tortured in her quarter-final win over Lulu Sun, but has begun well here. Vekic then decides to mix up her power with a well-disguised drop shot – Paolini gets to it – but is unable to prevail from here. 40-15. Game Vekic. A confident start.
First set: Vekic* 0-1 Paolini (*denotes next server)
Paolini steps up to serve first – and Vekic sends her return beyond the baseline. A much longer rally then plays out – those longer exchanges should favour Paolini today – and eventually Vekic makes the error. Vekic is pushing and pushing on her forehand on the third point – she has the greater power of the two – and is rewarded for her early bravery. 30-15.
It looks as if it won’t be enough to make further inroads into the opening game as Paolini gets to 40-15 – but two errors from the Italian and it’s deuce. And a second deuce. And a third. Vekic jumps on Paolini’s second serve and the Croatian has a first break point. She flashes a forehand into the net when she should do better. And Paolini holds from there after an eight-minute opening game. More of the same of this, please.
On the BBC, Tracy Austin is offering her thoughts on the match-up. “Vekic needs a quick start, because she’ll be more nervous,” Austin says. “Plus she’s had four three-setters. She doesn’t move as well as Paolini, she needs to make the first strike and try to dominate and dictate. Vekic disguises her drop-shot well. Her opponent braces for the power, but then the drop-shot arrives. That’s going to be important for Vekic today, but Paolini is an incredible mover.”
Vekic leads the way on to court, a few steps ahead of the diminutive Paolini. These two have played each other three times before, with Paolini leading the head-to-head 2-1.
Even though both are appearing in their first Wimbledon semi-final at the age of 28, Vekic was a prodigy in her early days, while Paolini has come out of nowhere to become the latest of late bloomers. And even Vekic is a supporter of the overnight star.
“She’s a great girl,” Vekic says. “You can always see her smiling. I don’t know if anyone is smiling as much as she does on court. She’s really played amazing this year, I’m really, really happy for her.”
Here Paolini and Vekic come, winding their way through the corridors of the All England Club. This will be Vekic’s first match on Centre Court this year, but organisers did let her have a hit on the grass this morning.
46 years after playing my first Centre Court match it was special to be back as a coach of Donna. Thanks to @Wimbledon for allowing a warm up for a semifinalist who had not yet played this year on the most special court on the planet. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/R12RmSBWQx
— Pam Shriver (@PHShriver) July 11, 2024
In the men’s wheelchair singles, Britain’s Alfie Hewett is attempting to reach the final for a third consecutive year. He’s 6-1 up on No 3 Court against France’s Stephane Houdet in their second-round match.
Simon Cambers
Good things come to those who wait. In her 43rd grand slam event, 11 and a half years after her debut in a major, Donna Vekic secured a place in her first grand slam semi-final on Tuesday with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 win over Lulu Sun, ending the stunning run of the New Zealand qualifier, whose legs gave out in the third set of a gruelling contest. Vekic hit 11 aces, six double faults – including five in one game as she tried to serve out the second set – before stepping it up in the decider to set up a semi-final against either Jasmine Paolini of Italy or the American, Emma Navarro.
“It was a really tough match, she played unbelievable,” a drained Vekic said, the tears starting to flow. “I feel like she really pushed me to my limits. I felt like I was dying out there, the first two sets, but just kept going, hoping to have a chance and it came in the end.”
To watch the Croatian can be a stressful experience, the strains and intensity of the matches writ large on her face. In 2021, she was unsure if she would ever play again at this level after undergoing knee surgery and, the following year, struggling with plantar fasciitis before more knee trouble interrupted her progress. As recently as a few days before the French Open in May, she found herself not wanting to play any more.
Emma John
The dolore didn’t last long. After Jannik Sinner’s defeat by Daniil Medvedev, the Italian flags on Centre Court were soon fluttering again as Jasmine Paolini defeated Emma Navarro 6-1, 6-2 to become the first Italian woman to reach a Wimbledon semi-final. Not bad for a 28-year-old who, until this year, had not won a single tour match on grass.
This was the first time in four attempts Paolini had made it past the first round at this tournament. She had lost to the American every time they had played before – three times in the past nine months.
“Mentally it was tough to play against her,” said Paolini, who will face Donna Vekic in the semi-final after the Croatian beat Lulu Sun. “I love the way she plays. The last three matches I was really struggling with her. I was repeating to myself that it’s a different match, different surface, so to try to be aggressive. I think I played a really, really good match.”
Tumaini Carayol
A couple of weeks before the start of Wimbledon, Elena Rybakina had an all too familiar setback. In the early stages of a quarter-final during a warm‑up tournament in Berlin, she retired with a stomach injury. A cloud of uncertainty still hung over her status as she returned to Wimbledon, where in 2022 she won her first and only major title.
But as Rybakina has progressed through the draw and all of her rivals have gradually fallen away, she has reached the final stages performing at a spectacular level and reinforcing her status as the prohibitive favourite. Rybakina returned to the semi-finals with an imperious performance on Centre Court, crushing a helpless Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-2.
In the past two years Rybakina has established herself inside the top five while consistently making deep runs and winning titles across all surfaces. She might have achieved even more if not for the health problems she has had to consistently address. She has retired or withdrawn from matches six times over the past year, mostly because of illnesses that have continued to affect her matches and training for weeks. This time around, she has quickly shaken off those issues and rediscovered her form.
Patten and Skupski won’t be messing around like this, that’s for sure.
And a reminder of how Rybakina, Krejcikova, Paolini and Vekic got here …
Gonzalez and Eikeri lead 4-3 with the break in that mixed doubles quarter-final, but home interest in the doubles will be on No 1 Court later, where we’re guaranteed to end up with a Brit in the men’s final. Henry Patten – a favourite of this blog (I know who Daniel will be sneakily watching while also on Euro blog duty) – partners Finland’s Harri Heliovaara, while Neal Skupski plays alongside New Zealand’s Michael Venus. Theirs is the second men’s semi-final on No 1.
Today’s order of play
Centre Court, 1.30pm BST
Donna Vekic (Cro) v (7) Jasmine Paolini (Ita)
(31) Barbora Krejcikova (Cze) v (4) Elena Rybakina (Kaz)
No 1 Court, 1pm
(1) Marcel Granollers (Spa) & Horacio Zeballos (Arg) v (15) Max Purcell (Aus) & Jordan Thompson (Aus)
Harri Heliovaara (Fin) & Henry Patten (Gbr) v (9) Neal Skupski (Gbr) & Michael Venus (Nzl)
Santiago Gonzalez (Mex) & Giuliana Olmos (Mex) v Marcus Willis (Gbr) & Alicia Barnett (Gbr)
No 2 Court, already under way
Maximo Gonzalez (Arg) & Ulrikke Eikeri (Nor) v Nathaniel Lammons (USA) & Ena Shibahara (Jpn)
(7) Jan Zielinski (Pol) & Su-Wei Hsieh (Tpe) v Jamie Murray (Gbr) & Taylor Townsend (USA)
Preamble
Hello! And welcome to our coverage of the women’s semi-finals. Amid all the chaos this fortnight – a late withdrawal from the title favourite Aryna Sabalenka, a first-round dethroning of the defending champion Marketa Vondrousova, a third-round exit for the world No 1 Iga Swiatek and a fourth-round defeat out of nowhere for the previously impressive Coco Gauff – there has been one constant: the steady but spectacular presence of Elena Rybakina.
The 2022 champion, apart from conceding a set in the second round, has crushed everyone in her path, dropping only 13 games in her four other matches. Despite her injury and illness-hit build-up, she’s looking more dominant at Wimbledon than she did two years ago – and with 19 wins from 21 career matches here the Russian-born Kazakh is reaching Steffi Graf-like levels of efficiency.
This afternoon Rybakina faces Barbora Krejcikova, the clever and crafty Czech who’s trying to emulate her late mentor Jana Novotna by winning Wimbledon. Krejcikova has beaten Rybakina in their two previous matches – but crucially neither of those were on grass. Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion, is very much the underdog.
Jasmine Paolini, meanwhile, had never been beyond the second round of a grand slam when Rybakina claimed her Wimbledon title. The Italian had never even won a match at Wimbledon before this year. But now this most joyful of late bloomers, all life-affirming energy, enthusiasm and ebullience, is the favourite – both with the fans and bookies – to beat Donna Vekic and reach her second consecutive slam final.
Vekic – at 28 the same age as Paolini – has also saved the best until late in her career. This is the Croatian’s first major semi-final at her 43rd attempt – having admitted she felt like she was “dying out there” in her tense quarter-final comeback against Emma Raducanu’s conqueror Lulu Sun. Vekic considered quitting tennis in May after a succession of injuries affected her form and motivation – but here the world No 37 is, just two wins from making all the pain and persistence worth it.
Women’s tennis is not as wildly inconsistent as it was in the early years post-Serena – the fact that Swiatek, Sabalenka and Gauff are the current major holders is proof of that – and along with Rybakina they’re ahead of the rest of the field. A new Big Four? Perhaps. But they’re far from emulating the consistency that the original Big Four produced on the men’s side. Rybakina is the favourite to win the Wimbledon title from here but she’ll take nothing for granted; this tournament has reminded us that the women’s game is still more than capable of throwing up the unexpected.
Play begins at: 1.30pm BST. The sun is shining, it’s the warmest day of the championships, so there won’t be any delays. Don’t be late!