Aryna Sabalenka sets up Wimbledon semifinal date with Amanda Anisimova after surviving huge scare
What was not anticipated was just how hard it would be for both players to reach the last four.
World number one and title favourite Sabalenka looked on the cusp of going out against 37-year-old 104-ranked Laura Siegemund when she was 4-3 and a break down in the third set, having also lost the first.
Anisimova, meanwhile, almost threw away what had appeared an unassailable lead against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, being forced to save five set points having led 6-1, 5-2 before taking her fourth match point. She finally won 6-1, 7-6 (11-9).
Sabalenka subsequently reflected that she would probably have lost had she not put herself through a tough self-appraisal after losing the French Open final to Coco Gauff.
In that match, she made 70 unforced errors, losing after winning the first set, and realised she needed to control her emotions better on court.
It did not look as if she had absorbed the lesson during the first set, with her body language portraying her frustration as she struggled to deal with Siegemund's unusual mix of slices and chops.
"I think there's a big possibility that I would have lost this match if I didn't learn that lesson at the French Open," Sabalenka said after winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in 6 minutes short of 3 hours.
"In some moments I just … kept reminding myself, 'Come on, it's the quarterfinal of Wimbledon, you cannot give up, you cannot let the emotions just take over you and lose another match'.
"I was just reminding myself that it's my dream, why would I give up so easily, so I have to keep fighting … I kept telling myself that, and I was willing to win points, to push myself and to get those tough points."
Anisimova also struggled to control her emotions as 50th-ranked Pavlyuchenkova launched her comeback.
The 34-year-old won three games on the trot, saving two match points in the process, including hitting a gutsy drop shot winner that completely caught the 13th seed by surprise.
Anisimova looked like she was on the verge of breaking down, mouthing to her support group "one more point" as the Russian kept earning set points in the tiebreak.
The 23-year-old American failed to qualify for Wimbledon last year but reached the quarterfinal in 2022 and the French Open semifinal, as a 17-year-old, in 2019. In 2023 she took a break from the tour, saying she had been "struggling with my mental health and burnout".
"It's been an extraordinary year for me," she said. "So many highs. It's just been such a ride, and I've been enjoying every step of the way.
"Even times like today, when you're not sure you're going to cross the finish line, I keep reminding myself to enjoy the moment."
The pair met at Roland-Garros, Sabalenka winning 7-5, 6-3, but she said of facing Anisimova on grass: "I definitely think this surface suits her game really well. That's why she's playing so well so far."
The remaining women's quarterfinals will feature seventh seed Mirra Andreeva vs Belinda Bencic and eighth seed Świątek vs 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova.
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