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World number one Aryna Sabalenka narrowly escaped a major upset as she fought back to defeat Laura Siegemund and advance to the Wimbledon semi-finals. In a tense and unpredictable match, Sabalenka came from behind twice in the final set to beat the 37-year-old German 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Sabalenka, who has reached the final of the last three Grand Slam events, entered the tournament as a title favourite after many top contenders were knocked out early. However, few expected such a stern challenge from Siegemund, ranked 104th in the world and previously never past the second round in singles at Wimbledon.
Siegemund, known more for her doubles success, caused all sorts of problems for Sabalenka with her slice-heavy style, slow rhythm and sharp returning. It took nearly three hours of determination and mental resilience for the Belarusian to find a way through.
Sabalenka admitted she thought her journey might be ending after losing the opening set. "After the first set, I looked at my box and thought, 'book the tickets, we might be leaving,'" she said. Despite clear frustration, she kept her composure and tried not to show how unsettled she felt.
Next, Sabalenka will face 13th seed Amanda Anisimova, who defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets. It will be Sabalenka's third appearance in a Wimbledon semi-final, but she is still chasing her first final at the All England Club.
The match against Siegemund was difficult from the start. Sabalenka held serve just once in the opening set, which lasted 57 minutes. She left the court briefly to regroup and returned with more focus. Though she lost an early break in the second set, she managed to win four consecutive games to force a decider.
Siegemund again struck early in the third set and took a 3-1 lead, but Sabalenka eventually clawed her way back. She broke Siegemund twice, with the final break coming as Siegemund served to stay in the match. Sabalenka closed it out at the net with a calm winner.
Reflecting on the win, she said, "It does not matter if you are a big hitter or a big server. You have to work hard, chase every point, and earn your victory. It is tough, but beautiful."
