Elena Rybakina reaches the Wimbledon final after beating 2019 champion Simona Halep in consecutive sets … with a Russian player who will face off on Saturday at the On Jabeur in Tunisia.
- Elena Rybakina reaches the Wimbledon final after beating Simona Halep
- The Russian-born player defeated the 2019 champion 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday afternoon
- Rybakina will play on Saturday against third seed Ons Jabeur in the final
By Matthew Lambert for the Daily Mail
Posted: 17:10, 7 July 2022 | Updated: 11:54 PM, July 7, 2022
“The Russian-born star enters the Wimbledon final,” encouraged the cover of Russia Today’s website.
This, it is assumed, is the kind of thing the All England Club hoped to avoid when, in response to the invasion of Ukraine, they banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing in championships.
But Elena Rybakina, born, raised and living in Moscow, changed her nationality in Kazakhstan four years ago in search of funding and here she was, destroying 2019 champion Simona Halep by 6-3, 6-3 in her debut in the central track to get a tea. final against the On Jabeur of Tunisia.
Elena Rybakina (pictured) reaches Wimbledon final after beating Simona Halep
A 23-year-old has reached a Grand Slam final for the first time after winning the 2019 championship
The world number 23 beat Simona Halep (right) 6-3, 6-3 in her central court debut
Listen carefully after the No. 17 seed struck a winner of the return leg at the match point and, amidst the cheers of the Wimbledon crowd, one could almost hear the Kremlin’s propaganda machine coming into action.
None of this is under Rybakina’s control, of course; all you can control is your tennis and you are doing very well.
Asked if he thinks he will represent Russia on Saturday, Rybakina said: “I am very happy to represent Kazakhstan. They believed in me.
“I’m sorry for the players who couldn’t come here, but I’m just enjoying playing here on the bigger stage.”
Rybakina ended his streak of 20 consecutive sets won at Wimbledon on Thursday
Romanian Simona Halep (pictured) looks down as members of the crowd watch
The 23-year-old was a gymnast and figure skater as a child, but was told she was too tall to have a future in any sport. This led her to tennis where her 6 feet have helped her drop 49 aces this fortnight, a tournament high.
His background shots are penetrating and he moves with a grace born of those childish activities.
Halep missed last year’s championships due to injury and therefore, including his career for the 2019 title, came to that match after winning 20 consecutive sets at Wimbledon.
But the 30-year-old Romanian was shocked by the power of Rybakina, whose balance belied his abyss in the pedigree of the Grand Slam.
She looks like a great champion waiting and would be the first Kazakh winner of the Wimbledon title. Or, as Russia Today put it, the first Russian-born player to win since Maria Sharapova in 2004.
Rybakina will face Tunisia’s On Jabeur (pictured) after defeating Tatjana Maria in three sets