16:57
Jabeur – Sabalenka 4:4
Then Sabalenka allowed her first double fault. As a result, a forehand from the Australian Open winner sails out. 30 both!
16:55
Jabeur – Sabalenka 4:4
Sabalenka fires her second ace of the day. After that, the 25-year-old really gets going. Jabeur has to make a lot of meters and ultimately struggles in vain.
16:55
Jabeur – Sabalenka 4:4
Jabeur uses the third ball because her opponent misses a forehand. So we have arrived at 4:4.
16:54
Jabeur – Sabalenka 3:4
Today, however, Jabeur brings back a lot, quickly gaining three game balls, only to start pondering again afterwards.
16:53
Jabeur – Sabalenka 3:4
Of course, the Belarusian’s willingness to take risks means that she is prone to make mistakes. But if Sabalenka hits the balls as desired, no more grass will grow on the other side.
16:51
Jabeur – Sabalenka 3:4
Now the Tunisian is temporarily running out of arguments. As a setback, the 28-year-old isn’t doing anything right now. At the end, Sabalenka sets a forehand precisely and unattainably, marching to a clean sheet for the second time today to win the game.
16:49
Jabeur – Sabalenka 3:3
Jabeur uses the second game ball and follows suit again. At a score of 3:3 everything remains open.
16:48
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:3
Cleverly and with an eye, Jabeur plays the backhand cross and against the running direction of the opponent. Two game balls are quickly ready.
16:47
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:3
First, the edge of the net stops the momentum of a return from Sabalenka. After that she shines with a perfect backhand lob.
16:45
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:3
Sabalenka pulls the longest game at more than nine minutes to her side, uses the fourth game ball in forward gear and puts the backhand down the line unreachable.
16:44
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:2
Then Sabalenka messed up her third game ball – again with a mistake without need. So a tough struggle develops here.
16:43
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:2
But as before, such winners alternate with unforced errors. This is now the tenth. This makes life much more difficult for the 25-year-old.
16:42
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:2
Thanks to her acoustic support, it always seems a bit more powerful when Sabalenka really pulls through – like now with the forehand. There’s always a murmur going through the audience.
16:41
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:2
Jabeur plays the backhand cross very easily. Sabalenka is amazed and watches as the felt ball falls into the back corner. debut!
16:40
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:2
Then Sabalenka shines with a fine hand, plays the nice stop and fends off both break chances. This is followed by the first ace of the world ranking second.
16:39
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:2
Sabalenka warps a backhand without need and offers two breakballs. But then comes a crashing first with 194 kilometers per hour. Jabeur’s return falls short. The Belarusian does the rest with her forehand.
16:38
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:2
While Sabalenka cannot steer her dynamics in the right direction, Jabeur shows playfulness and counters the competitor with a forehand pass ball.
16:36
Jabeur – Sabalenka 2:2
Jabeur makes the first double fault of the game, but one ball remains. The North African then regulates this with a good serve because the opponent cannot manage the return.
16:34
Jabeur – Sabalenka 1:2
Jabeur counters it, plays the forehand volley, after which the opponent stretches in vain. Shortly thereafter, two game balls are ready.
16:34
Jabeur – Sabalenka 1:2
Trying to dictate what’s happening on the pitch, Sabalenka make too many mistakes. Seven without need are already on the books (two for Jabeur). But then the 25-year-old ignites a backhand rocket.
16:31
Jabeur – Sabalenka 1:2
With a forehand winner, Sabalenka gets another cue ball. And now the Australian Open winner grabs a good serve through the middle of the square.
4:30 p.m
Jabeur – Sabalenka 1:1
At Sabalenka, the first player has only failed twice so far. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old struggles a little through this game, but gets a cue ball with the first ace of the match, which shortly afterwards passes unused.
16:28
Jabeur – Sabalenka 1:1
In this situation Sabalenka manages the first winner, she plays the opponent very well, puts the backhand cross into the open field and fends off the break chance.
16:27
Jabeur – Sabalenka 1:1
Then Sabalenka, moderately prepared, looks for the way to the net and catches Jabeur’s cross-played backhand pass. Shortly thereafter, the Belarusian screwed up a backhand without needing it and thus offered a breakball in turn.
16:26
Jabeur – Sabalenka 1:1
Sabalenka still hasn’t recorded a win. And Jabeur scores with the backhand. Nevertheless, the force of the second in the world rankings is enough to force the opponent to make mistakes.
16:25
Jabeur – Sabalenka 1:1
After that, the Belarusian takes a backhand return a little too long. The break chance is gone. More backhand errors followed. So Jabeur pulls the game on their side and equalizes to 1:1.
16:24
Jabeur – Sabalenka 0:1
Sabalenka attacks a second serve with the return. Jabeur fails to return the ball and faces a breakball.
16:22
Jabeur – Sabalenka 0:1
With his own serve, Jabeur ensures the first winner of this game and scores with the forehand. The next counters are then assigned again via errors.
16:21
Jabeur – Sabalenka 0:1
Sabalenka always brings the first, so quickly gets three game balls. After that, the Belarusian has to try the second serve for the first time. The Tunisian still doesn’t get the backhand return, which means the first game is already over.
16:19
1 sentence
Now Sabalenka opens the match under the eyes of the German chair umpire Miriam Bley. The first point is soon made because Jabeur gets a backhand too long.
16:18
Head 2 Head
For the fifth time both players face each other in an official match. Only at the first meeting in 2020 in Roland Garros did Jabeur have the better end in three sets. After that, Sabalenka celebrated smooth victories in Abu Dhabi and in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2021. And at last year’s WTA Finals, the Belarusian prevailed in the group stage after falling behind in a set.
16:14
Jabeur also number 2
Jabeur has four career titles to his credit – and at least two of them won on grass. This was achieved in Birmingham 2021 and Berlin 2022. However, the 1,000th in Madrid 2022 is considered the greatest success. At the end of last season, the North African was number 2 in the world. This year, the 2022 US Open finalist started with the semi-finals in Adelaide, won on clay in Charleston and was again in the last four in Stuttgart. The right-hander is currently sixth in the world rankings, will only make up ground with the Wimbledon victory and then jump to fourth place.
16:05
Jabeur at Wimbledon
Jabeur is part of the main draw for the sixth time and was in the final on the sacred pitch a year ago. For the loss against Elena Rybakina at that time, the Tunisian, who was 6th seeded, got revenge on the Kazakh with a three-set win yesterday. The 28-year-old had previously fallen behind in the third round against Bianca Andeescu. Her other matches against Magdalena Frech, Zhuoxuan Bai and Petra Kvitová were not serious tests.
15:55
Shortly
Markéta Vondroušová converted her first match point on Center Court, beat Elina Svitolina twice 6:3 and made it into the Wimbledon final for the first time. This means that the place will soon be free for the second semi-final game.
15:47
Sabalenka at Wimbledon
Sabalenka is at Wimbledon for the fifth time and made it to the semi-finals in 2021. Incidentally, the semi-finals are also in Roland Garros (2023) and at the US Open (2021, 2022). Twelve months ago, as a Belarusian, she was not allowed to open Church Road. This year, the 25-year-old only had some trouble in the second round against Varvara Gracheva from France, having to make up for a set deficit. The other tasks against Panna Udvardy, Anna Blinkova, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Madison Keys were quickly completed by Sabalenka, who was 2nd seed, in one to one and a half hours each.
15:37
Sabalenka 2023
Sabalenka deserved it, having had a strong season, starting with a tournament win in Adelaide in January. She then won her first Grand Slam title as a singles player in Melbourne. The right-hander was at a disadvantage in the finals of India Wells and Stuttgart, but won the 1,000 in Madrid in May. However, none of her 13 tournament wins have been on grass.
15:27
Two goals for Sabalenka
Between August 2021 and February 2022, Sabalenka was number 2 in the world for half a year. This has been the Belarusian again since the end of January. And now the opportunity to finally climb onto the tennis throne is looming. Already at the French Open she had the opportunity to make it to the top. The venture failed with the end in the semifinals. Now that Iga Świątek has left, there is another chance to become the world number one for the first time by winning Wimbledon.
15:17
Welcome
Welcome to the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon! At the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club we are looking forward to the second semi-final of the women. At around 16:00 CEST Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka are scheduled to face each other.