• As Djokovic Meets Kyrgios Today In Men’s Final
Elena Rybakina recovered from behind to beat Ons Jabeur in three sets in yesterday’s Wimbledon women’s singles final and claim her first grand slam title.
In a groundbreaking contest on Centre Court between two females contesting their maiden major finals – an Open Era first – it was number 17 seed, Rybakina who held her nerve.
She prevailed 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in two hours and 52 minutes against the in-form Jabeur, who had won 11 matches in a row, to win just her third career title – and a first since 2020.
The 23-year-old, who had lost her past four finals, becomes the youngest female to win the singles title at the All England Club since Petra Kvitova in 2011.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic told fans to ‘expect fireworks’ when he faces Nick Kyrgios in his record-breaking 32nd Grand Slam final at Wimbledon on Sunday.
Djokovic surpassed Roger Federer (31) for the most major finals among male players with his four-set victory over Cam Norrie in Friday’s semi-final.
It means he will now face Kyrgios, who progressed without playing after Rafael Nadal withdrew from their last-four meeting due to an abdominal injury.
he six-time Wimbledon champion has never beaten Kyrgios, losing each of their previous meetings in Acapulco and Indian Wells in 2017 in straight sets.
Their third encounter could be one high on emotion. Djokovic appeared to blow kisses towards a heckler in the Centre Court crowd after defeating Norrie while Kyrgios, known for his on-court outbursts, was recently involved in an extremely tempestuous third-round clash with fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
World number two, Jabeur settled the quicker of the pair and got an early break in the third game, blunting Rybakina’s big baseline hitting
Despite passing up two break points in the fifth game, Jabeur looked composed and again broke her opponent in the ninth game to grab a huge foothold in the match.
Rybakina’s 17 unforced errors in the opener suggested a gulf in quality, but she earned a first break in the opening game of the second set following a poor forehand from Jabeur.
Jabeur let a break point of her own pass her by in the next game as a growing-in-confidence, Rybakina held, but the Tunisian dug deep to save a break point in the third.
That looked like being a big moment as, from 30-0 up, Rybakina gifted her opponent three break points, but Jabeur failed to take any of them – a running theme.
The Kazakh took three of the next four games to take the match all the way, and that momentum was carried into the decider as she won the opening game against serve.
Jabeur’s best shot at hitting back arrived in the sixth game, where three break points came and went, and with that Rybakina claimed the next two games for a famous victory.
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