Clinical Rybakina into Wimbledon semi-finals

Former champion Elena Rybakina cruised into the Wimbledon semi-finals with a clinical win over Elina Svitolina on Centre Court.

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina was a level above Svitolina in a 6-3 6-2 victory that took just 62 minutes, and will play in the last four for the first time since she won the competition in 2022.

The 25-year-old will face either Jelena Ostapenko or Barbora Krejcikova for a place in the final with those two also playing each other on Wednesday.

Rybakina and Svitolina traded breaks in the opening games of an initially even first set, with the Ukrainian then dropping serve to love when trailing 4-3.

Rybakina carried her momentum through to the second set, immediately breaking with a deep forehand into the corner.

She broke again at 4-2 and served out for the match to reach the last four of a Grand Slam for the first time since she reached the Australian Open final in 2023.

The result ended Svitolina’s run, with the Ukrainian unable to repeat her semi-final appearance of last year.

On Monday, the 29-year-old former world number three said it was “extremely tough” to play at Wimbledon after Russian strikes killed dozens of people and seriously damaged a children’s hospital in her native Ukraine.