- Rybakina the first Kazakh to reach a grand slam singles semi
- She will next meet the 2019 champion Simona Halep
Down a set and struggling in her first Wimbledon quarter-final against an inspired opponent, Elena Rybakina shrugged off her early nerves and recovered to bulldoze her way into her first grand slam semi-final, ending with a supreme serving performance to defeat Australia’s Alja Tomljanovic 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 on No 1 Court.
By breaking new ground at Wimbledon, Rybakina, the 17th seed, is the first Kazakh player to reach a grand slam semi-final in either the men’s or women’s singles events. Rybakina was born in Russia and represented the country until 2018, when she decided to represent Kazakhstan after she was offered more support in her career.