Elena Rybakina is determined to enjoy herself after setting up a groundbreaking Wimbledon final against Ons Jabeur.

Rybakina had not won a single grass-court semi-final prior to Thursday's match against Simona Halep, but she rose to the occasion in a stunning 6-3 6-3 win.

While the Kazakh said she was "quite nervous", it did not show as she forged nine break point opportunities – including in each Halep service game of the first set – and faced just one.

Rybakina's serve was similarly effective, with five aces and no double-faults; Halep had no aces and nine double-faults.

"It was really, really good," the victor said. "Usually, I have ups and downs. But I think today I was mentally prepared, and I did everything I could, and it was an amazing match."

Now, attention turns towards facing Jabeur, with both women playing their first major finals.

It will be the first time in the Open Era the women's singles final at the All England Club will be contested between two players who have not played a championship match at a grand slam before.

The stakes are only getting higher for Rybakina, but she is relishing the opportunity.

"I think it's going to be a great match," she said. "I'm going to try to do my best, but I'm going to enjoy it. I've already done a lot; it's time to enjoy the final."

Cameron Norrie can thrive as an underdog against Novak Djokovic and cause a sensation in Friday's Wimbledon semi-final, according to a former coach of the British star.

Ninth seed Norrie has battled through to a showdown with 20-time grand slam winner Djokovic, who had to come from two sets adrift to beat Jannik Sinner at the last-eight stage.

Their clash will be first on Centre Court on Friday, with Norrie bidding to follow in the recent footsteps of Andy Murray, Britain's last men's singles champion at the All England Club.

Djokovic is riding a 26-match unbeaten run at Wimbledon into the match, as the top seed bids to move a step closer to a fourth consecutive title at the tournament.

Yet the lower-ranked man can win, and he could even do it with a set to spare, according to Mexican David Roditi, head coach of the Texas Christian University's tennis team, with whom Norrie honed his talent as a youngster.

As well as studying sociology, Norrie's sports scholarship centred on playing for the Horned Frogs team. He spent three years at the university before leaving in 2017 to embark on a professional tennis career.

Roditi told Stats Perform he expects Norrie to thrive after his battling five-set win over David Goffin last time out.

"Obviously it's not easy to make Djokovic uncomfortable, not easy to beat him on grass," Roditi said. "What I will say is that this is finally the first time that Cameron gets to play as an underdog.

"I'm hoping that he's able to loosen up a little bit, be a little bit more aggressive, be able to go after him a little bit more than he was able to in the quarter-finals.

"I could feel he was not comfortable during that match [against Goffin]. He knew it was a great opportunity. So that underdog mentality has usually worked out well for Cameron. And I'm hoping that that's exactly what happens. And then once you get into the physicality of the game, and I think the longer this match goes, the better chances are for Cameron."

Looking at a prediction for the contest, Roditi said: "Oh, Cameron, it's got to be all Cameron. It's got to be him. So I'm saying Cameron in four sets? Wow. We'll give Djokovic a set. And well, then Cameron can win in four sets."

Roditi said there was "so much pride and so much excitement" being felt in Fort Worth at seeing Norrie grow into an elite performer on the world stage.

The 26-year-old won the Indian Wells Masters last year, the biggest achievement of his career until this fortnight.

Roditi says he always saw world-class potential in Norrie.

"There's no doubt he was head and shoulders above your typical 18-year-old coming in: extremely competitive, always willing to do the extra work physically," Roditi said. "He would go for long runs on his own, and so his endurance level is tremendous. It's great for him and his five-set matches – that showed in the quarter-finals.

"What I will say is that there was nothing he couldn't accomplish, [nothing] that we would ever be shocked or surprised [by]. He's always been able to defeat the odds and do more than anybody would expect of him.

"It's scary to think about what would happen if he wins this match. I think at this point anything's possible."

Elena Rybakina overpowered former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep 6-3 6-3 in the last four on Thursday to reach her first major final at the All England Club.

Rybakina is playing in the main draw in SW19 for only the second time, having debuted in 2021.

Yet the Kazakh looks every bit as accomplished on the London grass as the esteemed Halep, who had not lost at Wimbledon since 2018, taking the title in 2019.

Indeed, the Romanian met her match in Rybakina, who forged nine break point opportunities in a dominant display, aided by a flawless serve as Halep gave up a costly nine double-faults.

Despite being one of the game's great returners, Halep found herself on the back foot right from the outset.

She faced break points in each of her four service games in the opener, with a rampant Rybakina decisively seizing the first of them as she dictated play from the back of the court.

Rybakina's power continued to cause problems for Halep, although a trio of double-faults – including to both set up and secure the break point – were to blame as the first-time semi-finalist was gifted an early lead again in the second set.

That advantage was cancelled out in similarly generous fashion, with four straight unforced errors seeing Rybakina unexpectedly broken to love.

However, normal service was swiftly resumed as Rybakina won a sublime rally to tee up another break, and there was time for one final flourish as a sensational return from the 23-year-old left Halep rooted and wrapped up victory in 77 minutes.

Data slam: Simona's semi-final struggles

Losing at Wimbledon may have been an unfamiliar feeling for Halep after 12 straight wins at the tournament, including 10 in straight sets, but she is becoming all too accustomed to failing in the last four.

Excluding walkovers, this was the Romanian's fourth consecutive semi-final defeat. For Rybakina, it was a first win at this stage of any tournament on grass.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Rybakina – 13/16
Halep – 16/15

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Rybakina – 5/0
Halep – 0/9

BREAK POINTS WON

Rybakina – 3/9
Halep – 1/1

Ons Jabeur was brimming with pride at becoming Africa's first grand slam women's singles finalist after sinking the Wimbledon title hopes of shock merchant Tatjana Maria.

Jabeur was determined to share the glory with Maria, hauling her close friend and "barbecue buddy" back into the middle of Centre Court for an ovation at the end of Thursday's semi-final battle.

The German mother-of-two's lifetime-best grand slam performance had included wins over seeds Sorana Cirstea, Maria Sakkari and Jelena Ostapenko, but the world number 103 fell in three sets to world number two Jabeur.

Jabeur has already made history but now has the title firmly in her sights ahead of Saturday's showpiece match.

"It's a dream coming true, from years and years of work and sacrifice," she said. "I'm really happy it's paying off, and I continue for one more match now. I'm a proud Tunisian woman standing here today, and I know in Tunisia they're going crazy right now."

The last African to win a grand slam of any sort was Cara Black of Zimbabwe at Wimbledon in 2010, when she and Leander Paes took the mixed doubles title.

Singles is where the spotlight typically falls in tennis, though, and Jabeur is one step away from glory. Only top-ranked Iga Swiatek, with 46 wins, has earned more match victories than Jabeur at WTA Tour level this season.

Taking this season and 2021 into account, Jabeur has more wins than anyone, her haul of 84 singles successes putting her two ahead of Swiatek.

Should the final go to a third and deciding set, Jabeur's record in tight matches could help. She has won 13 contests that have gone the distance this season, more than any other woman.

Maria made her work for the semi-final win, with Jabeur saying it was not so much the friendship that made the task so challenging.

"I think it was more difficult running for her balls," Jabeur said. "She killed me, and she has to make me a barbecue now to make up for all the running that I did on the court.

"I definitely wanted to share the moment with her at the end because she's such an inspiration for so many players, including me, coming back after having two babies, I still can't believe how she did it."

Ons Jabeur fended off close friend and tennis super-mum Tatjana Maria to reach the first grand slam final of her career, breaking new ground for Africa at Wimbledon.

In a Centre Court thrill ride, Tunisian Jabeur came through 6-2 3-6 6-1, and the 27-year-old will be Africa's first women's singles grand slam finalist in the Open Era.

Second seed Jabeur said ahead of Thursday's match that she and world number 103 Maria are "barbecue buddies". Jabeur is close to Maria and the German's two young daughters, but it had to be all about business in the biggest match of each player's life.

This stage of a major was new territory for both players, with 34-year-old Maria the oldest first-time women's singles grand slam semi-finalist in the Open Era, which began in 1968.

Jabeur broke in Maria's second service game of the opening set and looked comfortable as she swept through that opener. But there was a gear change early in the next set, Jabeur finding it more difficult to handle the slices and unconventional approach of Maria, who broke to lead 3-1 and was beginning to believe.

When Jabeur sent an unusually loose drop shot into the net, the match was level, yet the Tunisian picked up her performance when it mattered, breaking in the second game of the decider and then once more as Maria's challenge faded.

The German had been bidding to become the first unseeded women's singles finalist at Wimbledon since tennis fully opened up to professionals in 54 years ago. Maria upset big-name seeds Jelena Ostapenko and Maria Sakkari in earlier rounds, but her glorious run in London – the first mother-of-two to reach the last four since Margaret Court in 1975 – had reached its end point.

Data slam: Jabeur bids to make history for African women

There has been an African singles grand slam winner, but not yet on the women's side. Johan Kriek triumphed in men's singles at the 1981 Australian Open while representing South Africa. He defended that title a year later, by which stage he had switched nationality to compete for the United States. Opportunity knocks for Jabeur on Saturday.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Jabeur– 39/30
Maria – 17/26

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Jabeur– 4/2
Maria – 0/5

BREAK POINTS WON
Jabeur– 4/11
Maria – 1/2

Rafael Nadal faced make-or-break tests on Thursday to determine whether he would have to abandon his Wimbledon campaign.

The 22-time grand slam winner aggravated an abdominal injury during his five-set victory over Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals, admitting he had been in pain on court.

It did not prevent Nadal lasting the distance in a stirring battle lasting four hours and 21 minutes, taking the decider on a tie-break.

But Nadal risks having to pull out of Friday's semi-final against Australian Nick Kyrgios if his body is judged to have taken too much of a battering.

Family members appealed to Nadal to give up the ghost against Fritz, but the 36-year-old played on and pulled off a typically gutsy victory.

He confirmed after the match: "Tomorrow I'm going to have some more tests. But [it is] difficult to know. It's obvious that I am a player who had a lot of things in my tennis career, so I am used to have things and I am used to hold pain and to play with problems.

"Knowing that, when I feel something like I felt, that is because something is not going the proper way in abdominal. But let's see. I had these feelings for a couple of days."

Nadal said it was undoubtedly "the worst day" for his abdomen since he first felt a strain, which had required strapping before he played Fritz.

He said there had "been an important increase of pain and limitation", but Italian player Fabio Fognini appeared to question Nadal's injury status when he posted a message in an Instagram story, reacting to a report pointing out the Spaniard's problem.

The message read: "For sure... Guys stop believe in what you read PLEASE."

But Fognini later denied that meant he was questioning Nadal's injury, accusing journalists of twisting his words.

He wrote: "It's time to stop writing and reporting everything that you want in the wrong way. With that I wish Rafa and his entire team a lot of good luck in this Wimbledon final."

Former Spain goalkeeper Santiago Canizares, who now works in the sports media, also weighed in, writing on Twitter: "If there is anyone to believe in this society, it is @RafaelNadal. For many reasons that I am too lazy to cite.

"There are those who doubt his injury yesterday, but one fact does not bear debate: his serve was 30 per cent less than his usual speed ... Usual almost 200 km/h. Yesterday 150/160 km/h"

That did not quite stack up across the entire match, but Nadal's average serve speeds (107mph for first serve, 95mph for second serve) were his slowest of the tournament so far.

Nadal has already won the Australian Open and French Open titles this year, defying a long-time foot problem. Should he play on and win Wimbledon, he would go to the US Open in August with a chance of achieving the first men's singles calendar Grand Slam clean sweep since Rod Laver achieved the feat in 1969.

The winner of the semi-final between Nadal and Kyrgios, should it go ahead as planned, will face the winner of Novak Djokovic's match against Cameron Norrie in the title match.

Rafael Nadal says he does not know if he will be able to play in his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios after aggravating an abdominal injury during his five-set victory over Taylor Fritz.

Nadal, 36, has been vocal about his struggles physically during the tournament, but had been determined to push through the pain in an effort to keep his chances at the calendar slam alive, having already won this year's Australian Open and French Open.

During his quarter-final win against Fritz, family members were imploring Nadal to retire from the match as his clear discomfort appeared to be getting the better of him at times.

He admitted in his post-match media appearance that his condition worsened during the match, saying he will prioritise his health if he has to make a tough decision.

"I don't know [if I will be able to play] – I am going to have some more tests, but it is difficult to know," he said.

"I had these feelings for a couple of days, but without a doubt, today was the worst day. There has been an important increase of pain and limitation.

"I am worried. I don't have a decision. I need to know different opinions and I need to check everything the proper way.

"There is something more important than winning Wimbledon, and that is health."

The winner between Nadal and Kyrgios will face the winner of Novak Djokovic's semi-final against Cameron Norrie in the decider.

Rafael Nadal is hopeful he will overcome an abdominal injury that plagued him during his victory over Taylor Fritz in time for Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios.

The 22-time grand slam winner recovered from behind to edge Fritz 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) in a thrilling contest on Centre Court on Wednesday.

Nadal called for a medical time-out in the second set and never fully recovered from the issue, with his movement restricted throughout the four-hour-and-20-minute battle.

However, Nadal showed incredible mental and physical resilience to dig deep and see off first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Fritz and set up a showdown with Kyrgios.

Speaking in his on-court interview, the Spaniard admitted he was not entirely sure he would be able to see out his quarter-final tie after playing through the pain barrier.

"The body in general is fine," he said. "The abdominal [area] is not going well. I had to find a way to serve a little bit different.

"For a lot of moments I was thinking I will not be able to finish the match, but the court energy was something else.

"I honestly enjoy a lot playing these kind of matches, in front of you guys, I can’t thank you enough. It has been a tough afternoon. [Fritz] is a great player, all the credit to him.

"He's been great the whole season. But from my personal side it was not an easy match at all, so I'm just very happy to be in the semi-final.

"I hope to be ready to play it. Nick is a great player on all surfaces but especially on grass, he is having a great grass-court season.

"It's going to be a big challenge and I'm going to need to be at my 100 per cent to have a chance, and that is what I'm going to try to do."

Nadal has now won all eight quarter-finals contested at Wimbledon and is on a 19-match winning run at grand slams – three short of his own record of 21, which he set in 2010.

The victory over Fritz marked only the second time Nadal has won a fifth-set tie-break at a major, having previously prevailed against Dominic Thiem at the 2018 US Open.

It was also the first time since the same stage four years ago, against Juan Martin Del Potro, that Nadal has come through a five-set match at Wimbledon.

He has two days to recover ahead of facing Kyrgios, who had earlier defeated Cristian Garin in straight sets to reach a first grand slam semi-final.

"Tomorrow I'm going to have some more tests. But it's difficult to know [how I'll feel]," Nadal said when providing a further update on his fitness.

"It's obvious that I am not the kind of player that I didn't have a lot of things [injuries] in my tennis career, so I am used to have things and I am used to hold pain and to play with problems.

"Knowing that, when I feel something like I felt, that is because something is not going the proper way. But let's see. 

"It's obvious that today is nothing new. I had these feelings for a couple of days. Without a doubt, today was the worst day.

"There has been an important increase of pain and limitation. I managed to win that match. Let's see what's going on tomorrow."

Nadal leads Kyrgios 6-3 in their previous nine career matches, including victories in two of their three meetings in majors.

Nick Kyrgios was in disbelief after reaching his first grand slam semi-final with a Wimbledon victory over Cristian Garin, suggesting his best chances of major success had been wasted.

Kyrgios produced an impressive display on No. 1 Court to down his Chilean opponent 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-5), becoming the first unseeded Wimbledon semi-finalist since Rainer Schuttler and Marat Safin in 2008.

The Australian, who had lost two previous grand slam quarter-finals (at Wimbledon in 2014 and the Australian Open the following year) has courted controversy during a box-office run at SW19, spitting in the direction of a spectator during his opener last week before labelling Stefanos Tsitsipas "soft" after an ill-tempered third-round match.

And the 27-year-old, who took a moment to sit and savour his win before conducting his court-side interview, thought he had squandered any chance of grand slam success earlier in his career.

"Amazing atmosphere out here again, I just never thought I'd be at a semi-final of a grand slam, honestly, I thought my ship had sailed," he said.

"You know, I didn't go about things great earlier in my career, and may have wasted that little window.

"But I'm just really proud of the way I've come back out here, and of my team."

Kyrgios put the rows and trick-shots to one side during a professional performance, serving 17 aces and saving eight of the nine break points conjured by Garin.

Asked how he had found consistency without working with a full-time coach, Kyrgios said: "I don't have a coach, I would never put that burden on someone!

"Each and every one of my team plays a very important role, [but] I feel like no-one knows my tennis like I do. 

"I've been playing this sport since I was seven, and to reach a semi-final of a grand slam… I'm pretty happy."

Kyrgios' clash with Garin represented Wimbledon's first quarter-final between two unseeded players since 2008 (Arnaud Clement v Schuttler), and the Australian said he never felt in control against a tough opponent despite posting a straight-sets win.

"Honestly, I felt I was playing on the back foot a lot, he's a hell of a player, he's obviously feeling very confident, it's been a hell of a tournament from him to make the quarter-finals," he continued.

"I felt I got a bit lucky on a couple of break points here and there, it could easily have been him standing here.

"I'll just take that and prepare for my next match.

"I don't want to think about the semi-final just yet, there's a lot to be done from now until then. We'll go back, my dad will cook dinner as always, we'll watch a movie and just chill out. That's it."

Rafael Nadal's hopes of landing a first calendar slam remain alive after he dug deep to edge Taylor Fritz in a fifth-set tie-break and reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon.

Competing at this stage of a grand slam for a 47th time – compared to a first time for Fritz – Nadal battled through the pain barrier to win 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) on Centre Court.

Nadal, who was regularly checked over by his physio, will now face Nick Kyrgios as he looks to add to the Australian Open and French Open crowns already won this year.

Fritz had not dropped a single set en route to the final eight, but facing Nadal initially appeared a challenge too far when the Spaniard broke his serve in the opening game.

However, the number 11 seed responded brilliantly by whittling off five games in a row – breaking Nadal twice – to take the first set and lay down a real marker.

He could not carry that momentum into the second set, with Nadal racing into a 3-0 lead, but the 22-time grand slam winner was struggling with an abdominal injury at that point.

With mistakes again creeping into his game, Nadal called for a medical time-out when pegged back to 4-3, though he was able to successfully serve out the set to level up.

Fritz, who ended Nadal's 20-0 match streak in their most recent meeting in the Indian Wells final earlier this year, took a relatively one-sided third set to regain the lead.

Both players struggled to hold in a tense fourth set, which was tied at 5-5 with the serve in Fritz's favour, only for Nadal to show incredible resolve to break and force a decider.

The final set went the way of the serve until a mammoth seventh game when, at the fourth time of asking, Nadal took his big opportunity, yet the fearless Fritz hit back in the next game as the match went the distance.

But it was Nadal who held his nerve in the tie-break, with a stunning cross-court forehand seeing him break Fritz's serve for the first of five points in a row to get over the line in a match spanning four hours and 20 minutes.

Data slam: Nadal taken the distance

Nadal's victory was just his second ever in a fifth-set tie-break at a grand slam, having previously prevailed against Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals of the US Open in 2018.

The Spaniard, who remains on course to meet Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final, now has 19 straight grand slam wins in 2022 – three short of his own record of 21, which he set in 2010.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Nadal – 56/35
Fritz – 56/42

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Nadal – 19/3
Fritz – 5/7

BREAK POINTS WON

Nadal – 8/14
Fritz – 7/14

Nick Kyrgios wasted little time in booking a first career grand slam as he outclassed Cristian Garin in straight sets to reach the last four of Wimbledon.

The Australian, a beaten quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 2014 and 2015's Australian Open, dominated en route to a 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-5) win in the tournament's first quarter-final between two unseeded players since 2008 (Arnaud Clement v Rainer Schuttler).

Kyrgios has courted controversy on multiple occasions over the last fortnight, spitting in the direction of a fan in the opening round before winning a bad-tempered clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas in round three, but he put the theatrics to one side in clinching a last-four spot on No. 1 Court.

Garin started strongly as he broke to love in the contest's opening game, but Kyrgios, energised after producing one of the shots of the tournament when stooping for a scarcely believable forehand winner, broke back shortly after.

After overcoming a back-and-forth ninth game to record another break, Kyrgios served the opener out to love before moving through the gears in the second, which he wrapped up in 38 minutes to extend his lead.

Kyrgios's fine serving allowed him to take control of the contest, with his 17 aces in the match moving him clear of John Isner (114) as the player with the most aces at Wimbledon this year (120).

The Australian lost his way for much of the third set, producing a series of unforced errors to give Garin hope, but the Chilean's failure to convert any of his last eight break points saw Kyrgios force a tie-break.

Kyrgios rediscovered his form in the breaker to see out the win, setting up a last-four meeting with either Taylor Fritz or Rafael Nadal.

Data Slam: Kyrgios flying the flag after making quick work of Garin

Kyrgios' win ensured he became the first male Australian player to reach Wimbledon's semi-finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.

Having being taken to five sets on two occasions in West London this year (by Paul Jubb and Brandon Nakashima), the 27-year-old enjoyed a more comfortable outing on Wednesday when extending the best major run of his career.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Garin 30/23
Kyrgios 35/29

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Garin 2/5
Kyrgios 17/4

BREAK POINTS WON

Garin 1/9
Kyrgios 3/6

Simona Halep believes she is playing her best tennis since winning Wimbledon in 2019 after returning to the All England Club semi-finals.

The former world number one is enjoying her first SW19 campaign since that triumph three years ago, with the coronavirus pandemic and a calf injury delaying her return.

The final in 2019 was Halep's fifth at a major, but she has not been back to that stage since.

Now, having swatted aside Amanda Anisimova 6-2 6-4 in the last eight for a 12th consecutive victory at Wimbledon – the longest sequence since 20 straight Serena Williams successes between 2015 and 2018 – she is just one win away.

Halep explained after the Anisimova match that confidence was key, having proven her game was back at a high level in reaching six semi-finals in 2022 – second only to Iga Swiatek (eight) on the WTA Tour.

Three of those last-four appearances have now been on grass, with Johanna Konta in 2017 the last player to achieve that feat in a calendar year.

"Definitely I've played the best tennis [since 2019]," Halep said in her on-court interview. "I struggled a lot last year; now, I'm just trying to build my confidence back.

"The tennis is here, so I just have to believe. I've started to do that, and it feels good."

Asked how high her confidence was now, she replied with a smile: "It's good."

Halep has reached the last four without dropping a set, although that spotless record was briefly threatened by Anisimova, who was a double break down in the second set before breaking back and then leading 40-0 on the Romanian's serve.

Yet Halep dug in to serve out the match and avoid a decider against an opponent with a Tour-leading 12 three-set wins this season.

"I'm very emotional right now, because it means a lot to be back in the semis," Halep said.

"I played a tough opponent today; she could crash the ball in the end, and I didn't know actually what to do.

"But I just believed in myself and said that I had to stay there, strong on my legs – they helped me today – and I believed until the end that I could win."

Elena Rybakina sealed her first grand slam semi-final appearance in impressive fashion as she recovered from a set down to beat Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6 6-2 6-3 in Wimbledon's last eight. 

Rybakina was on the back foot after going a set and a break down on No. 1 Court, but the big-serving 23-year-old quickly shifted through the gears to claim a routine triumph and tee up a last-four clash with Simona Halep.

In doing so, she became the first female Kazakh player to reach a grand slam semi-final in the Open Era, with players from the country having lost on each of their previous eight major quarter-final appearances.

Tomljanovic made a terrific start, moving well and winning 85 per cent of first-serve points as she built on a third-game break to take the opener with an impressive showing.

But after being put under pressure by another Tomljanovic break, Rybakina came roaring back to level the contest, winning 11 consecutive points to clinch the second set as the momentum swung her way.

A reinvigorated Rybakina broke again early in the decider as she took seven successive games and, although she had to wait to seal victory after the duo traded breaks, eventually converted her second match point to continue her best Wimbledon run.

Data Slam: Rybakina serves up a treat

Rybakina came into this contest having served more aces than any other player on the WTA circuit in 2022 (197), and Tomljanovic was powerless to resist as she hit another 15 on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old has now made (44) aces at Wimbledon this year, more than any other female player.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Tomljanovic 14/21
Rybakina 34/28

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Tomljanovic 1/1
Rybakina 15/1

BREAK POINTS WON

Tomljanovic 3/9
Rybakina 5/9

Simona Halep's remarkable return to Wimbledon continued with a 6-2 6-4 win over Amanda Anisimova on Centre Court to reach the semi-finals.

Former world number one Halep took the title at the All England Club in 2019 but had not been back since, with coronavirus wrecking the 2020 grass-court season before she missed its entirety in 2021 due to injury.

But it is as if the 30-year-old – backed by new coach Patrick Mouratoglou – had never been away, with Anisimova the victim of a ruthless display on Wednesday.

Anisimova might have hoped the omens were positive, given her only prior quarter-final win in a major came against Halep at the 2019 French Open, but she could hardly have been surprised by her opponent's dominance on this surface; Halep beat Anisimova in the last eight in Bad Homburg last month.

The American soon bowed to the pressure generated by Halep's return, losing five games in a row after initially holding to love. Halep seized her first two break point opportunities as Anisimova twice aimed tired shots into the net from the back of the court.

A cross-court backhand from Halep fended off Anisimova's first opening, ensuring the Romanian eased through the opener before the second set followed a familiar theme.

Anisimova held comfortably to start but then again found Halep resolute, falling 0-40 down and eventually going a break behind with a wayward forehand. Once more it was a double break when an Anisimova drop shot fell some way short.

Anisimova belatedly forced Halep back as she served for the match, taking the second of two break points and then remarkably claiming a 40-0 lead against the serve next time out.

However, Halep, having briefly lost control, recovered her composure and was able to celebrate when Anisimova blasted wide.

Data slam: Anisimova helpless against Halep on grass

Anisimova has won 12 matches in three sets this season, the joint-most on the WTA Tour, but a fightback always appeared unlikely against her imperious opponent.

After almost three years away from competitive grass-court action, Halep has returned in formidable form. In three tournaments on grass in 2022, she has reached three semi-finals. The last player to make a trio of such appearances in a single calendar year was Johanna Konta in 2017.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Halep – 11/6
Anisimova – 13/28

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Halep – 3/1
Anisimova – 0/1

BREAK POINTS WON
Halep – 4/6
Anisimova – 1/8 

Wimbledon semi-finalist Cameron Norrie has pledged to take the fight to Novak Djokovic in their last-four tie.

Norrie defeated world number 58 David Goffin 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 on Tuesday to seal his progression to a maiden grand slam semi-final.

He is the first British man in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon after Roger Taylor, Tim Henman and Andy Murray.

The world number 12's reward is a tie against top seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who is in the hunt for a 21st grand slam title. Yet that daunting challenge is not dampening Norrie's enthusiasm.

"It's great to get this now but it's only going to get tougher," said Norrie in his on-court interview.

"I'm going to take it to Novak and hopefully you guys can get behind me and I'm sure you will."

Jannik Sinner became the first player to win two sets against Djokovic at Wimbledon since Roger Federer did so in an epic final in 2019, but the Serbian hit back to win 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.

Djokovic has now won 84 singles matches at Wimbledon in the main draw, a tally that trails only Federer (105).

Norrie has won two titles on the ATP Tour this year, but acknowledged it was hard to get an immediate grip of what he has achieved so far at Wimbledon.

"I think just winning a match like this, I'm in shock. I don't know what to say now," the 26-year-old said.

"I have flashbacks of all the hard work and all the sacrifices I have had to make and it's definitely paid off – and it feels pretty good."