Aryna Sabalenka has won praise for a moment of sportsmanship in her straight sets Wimbledon quarter-final win over Madison Keys.
On another weather-interrupted day at the All England club, drizzle began falling when Sabalenka was up 5-1 in the first set.
The pair both briefly discussed going off, before court-side mics picked up Sabalenka allowing Keys, who was serving, the final decision on whether or not to go off.
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While clay courts absorb showers and hard courts can tolerate a light drizzle before becoming slippery, grass courts can become dangerous with even the lightest of rain.
"You're serving, you decide," Sabalenka could be heard saying.
Commentator Tracy Austin said the gesture was "very nice" of her.
After a brief delay as Keys assessed the situation, both looked to be coming off the court as the drizzle got heavier, but almost before they could reach their seats the sun came out and the rain stopped on a typically London summer afternoon.
While Keys would hold serve in that game, Sabalenka would serve the set out in the following game, going on to record a 6-2, 6-4 win to set up a semi-final showdown with Ons Jabeur.
https://twitter.com/josemorgado/status/1679122279609901062Sabalenka said she knew before Wimbledon even started Jabeur would be one of the players to beat.
“Actually we practised here before Wimbledon,” Sabalenka said of Jabeur. “I felt like she’s going to do well here because she played unbelievable tennis on the practice court.
"We always had tough battles against each other, very close matches. I'm really looking forward for this great battle.”
Watch Wimbledon 2023 live and free on 9now. Alternatively, you can stream every match live, ad-free and on demand on Stan Sport, with centre court in 4K UHD.
Sabalenka, who will dethrone Iga Swiatek as world No.1 if she beats Jabeur, has been the most consistent performer in grand slams this year. She won the Australian Open and reached the semifinals at Roland-Garros and now Wimbledon.
Jabeur, meanwhile, is looking for her first major title after losing in the US Open final last year. She came from a set down to beat defending champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Jabeur said she expects their semifinal to become “very emotional on the court” because both players are prone to show their feelings during matches.
“Probably her shouting that way, me shouting this way,” Jabeur said. “I’m going to try my best to stay focused and take every opportunity. Aryna is more emotional than Elena, so maybe it could be a good or bad thing, I’m not sure. But let’s see tomorrow.”
The other semi final features two unseeded women — Elina Svitolina and Marketa Vondrousova.
Svitolina beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Tuesday to reach her first Grand Slam semi final since returning to the tour after a break to have her first child. She also reached two major semis in 2019, the same year Vondrousova reached the Roland-Garros final.
Vondrousova had never been past the second round at Wimbledon before this year, though, and missed the tournament the last two years with injuries.
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Aryna Sabalenka has won praise for a moment of sportsmanship in her straight sets Wimbledon quarter-final win over Madison Keys.
On another weather-interrupted day at the All England club, drizzle began falling when Sabalenka was up 5-1 in the first set.
The pair both briefly discussed going off, before court-side mics picked up Sabalenka allowing Keys, who was serving, the final decision on whether or not to go off.
READ MORE: State of Origin game three AS IT HAPPENED
READ MORE: Brad Fittler reveals why Ivan Cleary was sitting in coach's box after SOS delivered NSW victory
READ MORE: Gutted Paul Gallen's 'what ifs' after Blues' State of Origin finale brilliance
While clay courts absorb showers and hard courts can tolerate a light drizzle before becoming slippery, grass courts can become dangerous with even the lightest of rain.
"You're serving, you decide," Sabalenka could be heard saying.
Commentator Tracy Austin said the gesture was "very nice" of her.
After a brief delay as Keys assessed the situation, both looked to be coming off the court as the drizzle got heavier, but almost before they could reach their seats the sun came out and the rain stopped on a typically London summer afternoon.
While Keys would hold serve in that game, Sabalenka would serve the set out in the following game, going on to record a 6-2, 6-4 win to set up a semi-final showdown with Ons Jabeur.
https://twitter.com/josemorgado/status/1679122279609901062Sabalenka said she knew before Wimbledon even started Jabeur would be one of the players to beat.
“Actually we practised here before Wimbledon,” Sabalenka said of Jabeur. “I felt like she’s going to do well here because she played unbelievable tennis on the practice court.
"We always had tough battles against each other, very close matches. I'm really looking forward for this great battle.”
Watch Wimbledon 2023 live and free on 9now. Alternatively, you can stream every match live, ad-free and on demand on Stan Sport, with centre court in 4K UHD.
Sabalenka, who will dethrone Iga Swiatek as world No.1 if she beats Jabeur, has been the most consistent performer in grand slams this year. She won the Australian Open and reached the semifinals at Roland-Garros and now Wimbledon.
Jabeur, meanwhile, is looking for her first major title after losing in the US Open final last year. She came from a set down to beat defending champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Jabeur said she expects their semifinal to become “very emotional on the court” because both players are prone to show their feelings during matches.
“Probably her shouting that way, me shouting this way,” Jabeur said. “I’m going to try my best to stay focused and take every opportunity. Aryna is more emotional than Elena, so maybe it could be a good or bad thing, I’m not sure. But let’s see tomorrow.”
The other semi final features two unseeded women — Elina Svitolina and Marketa Vondrousova.
Svitolina beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Tuesday to reach her first Grand Slam semi final since returning to the tour after a break to have her first child. She also reached two major semis in 2019, the same year Vondrousova reached the Roland-Garros final.
Vondrousova had never been past the second round at Wimbledon before this year, though, and missed the tournament the last two years with injuries.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
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