The 135th edition of Wimbledon (The Championships) is nearing its conclusion. After a remarkable mid-tournament gathering of champions from the last 100 years, the current field of 128 players has been whittled to eight after a terrific quarterfinals round. It’s been a wild two weeks and the best matches look still to be played. Both the men’s and women’s semifinals offer compelling match-ups, with drama-filled finals awaiting on the weekend. Let’s look at the semifinals to be played heading into the last weekend.
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The Ladies’ Draw
Ons Jabeur vs. Tatjana Maria: World Number Two Ons Jabeur is experiencing a career peak. The multi-talented Tunisian won the Madrid Open, the first African to win a WTA 1000 tournament. She reached the final in Rome, bested only by Iga Swiatek. She won the German Open in her Wimbledon tune-up. At 34-years-old, German Tatjana Maria will play in her first Wimbledon semifinal against Jabeur. Along the way, she defeated World Number Five Maria Sakkari and ousted 12th-seeded Jelena Ostapenko. Jabeur’s expert shot-making, surprise volleys and masterful touch have made her an extremely difficult matchup for her Wimbledon opponents, and Maria will be hard-pressed to get past her and advance to her first grand slam final.
Simona Halep vs. Elena Rybakina: Elena Rybakina is another surprise entry into this year’s semifinals. The tall, powerful Kazakhstani took out Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets to reach the semifinals. She is just 23-years-old and has won two titles in her career. By contrast, Simona Halep is has won two grand slams, including Wimbledon in 2019, and 23 titles in her career. Halep dismantled talented young American Amanda Anisimova in two sets to reach another Wimbledon semifinal. Rybakina’s strong baseline game will be tested by Halep’s outstanding defense, a classic showdown between power and persistence.
For more details on all the matches, check out our 2022 WIMBLEDON GUIDE.
The Gentlemen’s Draw
Novak Djokovic vs. Cameron Norrie: Norrie is British and will have the backing of a vociferous Centre Court crowd this Friday. The 26-year-old broke into the top ten in April and won his fourth career title at Lyon in May. He outlasted David Goffin in five sets to advance to his first Wimbledon semifinal. But Norrie will face the world’s best grass-court player in defending champion Djokovic. The Serbian has rounded into top form on his favorite surface after a quarterfinal ouster at the French to rival Rafael Nadal. Djokovic has had a few flawless matches at this year’s tournament but was forced to come from two sets down to defeat talented young German Jannik Sinner in five to reach the semifinals. Norrie is quick and able to withstand long rallies, but few players are better at that than Djokovic. Expect the World Number Three to chase his seventh Wimbledon trophy on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal vs. Nick Kyrgios: Kyrgios is one of the top stories of the tournament. The multi-talented Australian is playing the best tennis of his career and enters his first grand slam semifinal at age 27. He won a tempestuous and thrilling showdown with Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round, in which both players were penalized and fined for their behavior. Kyrgios capitalized on the win and dispatched Brandon Nakashima and Cristian Garin on the way to the semifinals. Despite recurring ailments, 36-year-old Rafael Nadal has looked excellent in his pursuit of a third grand slam title of the year and record-setting 23rd overall. He outlasted Taylor Fritz in a grueling five-set marathon to reach the semis. Kyrgios will challenge Nadal with his booming serve and shot-making, but Nadal is a relentless competitor, returner, and will likely deploy a masterful drop-shot to unsettle the younger Aussie.
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Wimbledon’s final four days will deliver some of the best action of the fortnight. The semifinals and finals will be televised on ESPN and will stream on the ESPN+. DIRECTV STREAM subscribers can stream ESPN live on the DIRECTV STREAM app or use their ESPN plus login through the DIRECTV STREAM device.
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