LONDON - Elena Rybakina can move closer to a second Wimbledon title on Thursday when she faces Barbora Krejcikova armed with one of the All England Club's deadliest serves.
Krejcikova is in her first Wimbledon semi-final as are Jasmine Paoloni and Donna Vekic, who contest Thursday's other tie.
Rybakina, the 2022 champion, is the overwhelming favourite to sweep to a second title at the All England Club.
The Russian-born Kazakh, seeded fourth, has hit a joint tournament best of 31 aces and has dropped serve just six times.
The 1.83 metre Rybakina has launched 134 winners and spent only six hours and 14 minutes on court through five rounds.
"Of course I have such amazing memories from 2022 and I'm just enjoying every time I step on the court, especially when I play good. It's just really amazing," she said.
Krejcikova, the French Open champion in 2021, has spent more than three hours more on court than Rybakina in getting to her first Wimbledon semi-final.
The 28-year-old played the longest women's match of the tournament in the first round, three hours and 14 minutes, to see off Veronika Kudermetova.
Such resilience would have been difficult to imagine earlier this year, when Krejcikova was laid low by injury an illness.
She also went winless between February and June.
"It was a very, very difficult period," said the Czech 31st seed.