LONDON: Aryna Sabalenka was dragged into a bygone era on Tuesday and tormented for almost three hours on Wimbledon’s Centre Court before finally imposing her 21st-century power game to beat mesmeric Laura Siegemund for a place in the semi-finals.
The Belarusian needed all her powers of ball bludgeoning and belief to emerge from a befuddling battle, somehow the victor, 4-6 6-2 6-4.
For much of the spell-binding contest it looked as though the world number one would find no answers to Siegemund’s sorcery as the 37-year-old German veteran chipped, chopped and drop-shotted the world’s best player to pieces, leaving the top seed’s power game neutered on the turf.
Ranked a lowly 104 in the world, Siegemund drew on the game of a gentler age to bring low the mighty Belarusian, casting spells of slice and sleight with vintage flair.
But slowly, if not exactly surely, the 10 years younger and seemingly stronger Sabalenka managed to wrestle back the upper hand, and now plays American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova, who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, for a place in Saturday’s final.
“I need some time to recover … She pushed me so much and honestly after the first set I was just like looking at my box thinking like, ‘Guys I mean like book the tickets you know, I think we’re about to leave this beautiful city, country, place’.
“But wow she played an incredible tournament, an incredible match and I’m just super happy right now with the win and, oh my god guys, like atmosphere — it’s just another level.”
Nostalgic display
For Siegemund, this was not the performance of a player whose previous Wimbledon record amounted to three first-round exits and a solitary second-round finish.
Everything about the German evoked nostalgia.
The ball left her racket not with a thud, but a sigh — a soft brushstroke rather than a blunt strike. Serves landed halfway up the box before spinning wide; forehands floated underspun onto the baseline.
It may have looked delicate, but it was anything but harmless — as Sabalenka discovered to her mounting despair.
All the skills honed through a career rich in doubles nous — three Grand Slam titles across women’s and mixed — were on full display: low, skimming returns, feathered lobs, angled passes and volleys that died on impact.
The extraordinary level of accuracy and control was sure to dip and, in the second set it did.
Only a little, but enough to let the world number one level the match. But in the decisive third Siegemund was back to her best, mixing it up and sticking to her tactics.
The two exchanged the most marginal of upper hands to let the other nose ahead until finally, as the clock nudged towards three hours, Sabalenka sealed the win, pounding a powerful overhead home and shrieking for joy.
“That was a real task,” the Belarusian said “Honestly, I have no idea how I was able to hold myself and to be emotionally so prepared and focused. I’m actually really proud of myself because it was really tough battle.”
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