MISERABLE RUN TO MAIDEN MOMENT

Krejcikova conquers doubts to reach her first semi-final at All England Club

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LONDON Barbora Krejcikova reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time on July 10 with a straight-set victory over fellow former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, as the Czech turned the corner on a testing season.

Krejcikova, the 31st seed, overcame the 27-year-old Latvian 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in 1 hour and 40 minutes, and will face 2022 champion Elena Rybakina on July 11 for a place in the final.

"I told myself that I'm going to leave here everything I have and I'm really happy that I did and it's a great moment for me," said Krejcikova, who saw the 13th-seeded Ostapenko undone by 35 unforced errors.

"It's an unbelievable moment that I'm experiencing right now in my tennis career."

Victory for the 28-year-old Krejcikova comes after a miserable run in 2024. She was off tour for two months with a back injury and then illness. Her run to the Birmingham quarter-final in June allowed her to celebrate match wins for the first time since Abu Dhabi in February.

"It was a very, very difficult period. It was actually super difficult even before this tournament. I really want to thank my team that is there today," said Krejcikova.