Kerber, Barty, Pliskova, Sabalenka reach Wimbledon women’s semifinals

By HOWARD FENDRICH

WIMBLEDON, England — When Angelique Kerber grabbed the opening set of her Wimbledon quarterfinal Tuesday, the full-capacity crowd saluted the accomplishment with cheers that bounced off the closed roof at No.­ 1 Court.

Kerber’s reaction? Just a matter-of-fact, straight-faced stroll to the sideline. No shouts or leaps or fist pumps. Unlike the other women headed to the semifinals at the All England Club, this is not new to her. Not at all. It’s just that it’s been a while.

The owner of three Grand Slam titles, including at Wimbledon in 2018, Kerber moved back into the final four at the grass-court major by using her knee-to-the-turf agility and quick reflexes to beat No. 19 seed Karolina Muchova, 6-2, 6-3.

“I remember how I played here,” said Kerber, a 33-year-old left-hander from Germany, who did let loose by shaking her fists when her victory ended. “I know how to play on (a) grass court.”

Next, No. 25 seed Kerber takes on top-seeded Ash Barty, who eliminated 75th-ranked Ajla Tomljanovic, 6-1, 6-3, in the first all-Australian major quarterfinal in 40 years.

“It’s the ultimate test,” Barty said, looking ahead to Thursday’s matchup. “Angie’s obviously had success here before.”

Barty won the 2019 French Open, but she had never been to the quarterfinals at the All England Club. Indeed, this was the first time in the Open era, which began in 1968, that the tournament had six first-time women’s quarterfinalists.

Only Kerber and Muchova, who also lost at this stage in 2019, boasted past experience.

The other semifinal is No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka against No. 8 Karolina Pliskova.

Sabalenka collected her tour-leading 34th match win of 2021 by defeating No. 21 seed Ons Jabeur, 6-4, 6-3, and Pliskova topped unseeded Viktorija Golubic, 6-2, 6-2.

This was the first day of 100% capacity in the two main stadiums after COVID-19 restrictions placed a 50% cap on attendance when the fortnight began. With rain falling much of the afternoon, the singles matches were played at Centre Court and No. 1 Court with the roofs shut and spectators allowed to be maskless – the All England Club says the arena’s ventilation systems allow them to be considered outdoor venues.

Pliskova – the 2016 U.S. Open runner-up to Kerber – claimed 24 of 26 points on her serve in one stretch, hit eight aces and saved the only three break chances she faced.

“Everything today was working quite well,” said Pliskova, who averaged 106.5 mph on her first serves, 20.5 mph faster than Golubic.

Pliskova has been broken only three times through five matches so far and has not dropped a set.

She also hasn’t played anyone ranked better than 47th yet.

Now comes a test.

Jabeur’s game is full of novelty and nuance, with drop shots and all manner of angles and spin.

Sabalenka? She is all about power and big cuts at the ball, and even with that constantly aggressive style, she managed to accumulate more winners, 27, than unforced errors, 20.

“She played,” Tunisia’s Jabeur said, “the match of her life.”

Sabalenka, a 23-year-old from Belarus, hadn’t been past the fourth round at any major previously.

But she agreed hers was a “great performance.”

“I still have this opportunity to win a Slam,” Sabalenka said. “I will do everything I can to reach my goal.”

In the day’s lone men’s match, No. 14 seed Hubert Hurkacz came back to edge No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, 2-6, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the resumption of a fourth-rounder contest suspended Monday night.

Hurkacz’s first Grand Slam quarterfinal will come against 20-time major champion Roger Federer on Wednesday.

Kerber was certainly the best known and most accomplished of the women left in the draw as Tuesday began.

And now she’s into her eighth Grand Slam semifinal, with half coming at Wimbledon. The most recent came three years ago, when she upset Serena Williams for the championship.

Kerber extended her current winning streak to 10 matches, including a title at a grass-court tuneup in Germany last month, and her first-round exits on the Australian Open’s hard courts in February and French Open’s red clay in May seem like forever ago.

“I never stopped to believe in myself (and) how I can play,” said Kerber, like Pliskova a former No. 1.

Kerber’s game bothered Muchova the same way it troubled 17-year-old American Coco Gauff in the fourth round – with shots steered so quickly, low to the ground and flat.

“She plays good angles. It was a great match from her side,” said Muchova, who draped a towel over her head while sitting during changeovers. “So, definitely, didn’t help me.”

Kerber only compiled 15 winners, but that was enough because she limited Muchova to just two forehand winners herself – compared to a combined 33 unforced or forced errors with that stroke.

Muchova appeared to give herself at least the possibility of turning things around by breaking to lead 2-1 in the second set. But Kerber, so steady if not spectacular, broke right back when Muchova sent a forehand long to cap a 13-stroke exchange.

That was pretty much that.

HURKACZ FACES IDOL FEDERER IN FIRST SLAM QUARTERFINAL

Hurkacz was 6 years old when Federer won his first Wimbledon title.

On Wednesday, at the age of 24, Hurkacz will try to foil Federer’s latest attempt at winning a ninth.

As if playing in a first Grand Slam quarterfinal wasn’t special enough, Hurkacz will be on Centre Court going up against the player that he – and a generation of tennis players like him – grew up idolizing.

“Roger, what he does, the way he plays, the titles he has won – he has inspired so many people,” Hurkacz said. “Being out there playing quarterfinals against him, it’s really amazing.”

The Polish player earned that matchup by coming from behind to beat second-seeded Medvedev, 2-6, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. That match resumed Tuesday under the roof on Centre Court after being suspended overnight in the fourth set because of rain; it had started at No. 2 Court, which does not have a retractable cover.

It was the only fourth-round match that wasn’t completed Monday, which means Hurkacz is the only man who won’t get a full day’s rest before the quarterfinals.

What he did get, though, was a chance to play on Centre Court for the first time. That might be even more important when it comes to preparing for the 39-year-old Federer – who has been a regular on that particular court for the last two decades.

“I think actually playing today might have helped me because I got used to the indoor conditions, the conditions on the big court, how the ball bounces there, all the crowd,” Hurkacz said.

That crowd, which was at full capacity for the first time this year after COVID-19 restrictions were eased, certainly appreciated his old-school style of attacking the net often against the big-hitting Medvedev. Hurkacz won 50 points at the net, including 10 when playing serve-and-volley.

That might not be enough to win over the crowd against Federer, the perennial fan favorite.

“I’ll be hoping to get a little bit of support,” Hurkacz said with a laugh.

Hurkacz has played Federer once before, losing in straight sets in the Indian Wells quarterfinals in 2019.

They’ll play after two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic faces Marton Fucsovics of Hungary on Centre Court.

In the other quarterfinals, No. 10 Denis Shapovalov plays No. 25 Karen Khachanov and No. 7 Matteo Berrettini takes on No. 16 Felix Auger-Aliassime. Those matches will be played on No. 1 Court, which also has a retractable roof. That could come in handy: More rain is in the forecast.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE

A day after retiring from her fourth-round match with breathing problems, British teenager Emma Raducanu wanted people to know she’s doing just fine.

And that she’ll be coming back stronger.

The 18-year-old Raducanu went from ranked 338th and relatively unknown to Wimbledon’s latest crowd favorite after an unexpected run to the fourth round. But she had to stop when trailing Ajla Tomljanovic, 6-4, 3-0, on Monday in a match placed on No. 1 Court in prime time.

“I think the whole experience caught up with me,” Raducanu said in a statement she posted on social media. “Last night will go a long way to helping me learn what it takes to perform at the top.”

In an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, Raducanu said she was given medical advice to stop playing.

“I found it very difficult to regulate my breath. I think it was emphasized by some very long rallies we had towards the end of the first set which made it tough for me to keep my composure and the breathing in check,” she said. “I don’t know what caused it. I think that it was a combination of everything that has gone on behind the scenes in the last week. And accumulation of the excitement, the buzz.”

Raducanu was playing in just her second tour-level event. She said the biggest crowd she had played in front of before Wimbledon was “maybe 100 people or something.”

Her retirement caused quite a stir in Britain, with many questioning whether organizers had done the inexperienced teenager a disservice by placing her on such a prominent stage.

But Raducanu was already looking forward to playing in front of a packed Wimbledon crowd again.

“I’ve had the best time of my life,” she said. “This whole week has just been absolutely incredible. I’ve never felt support like it.”

GAUFF, McNALLY OUSTED IN DOUBLES

Coco Gauff lost on Wimbledon’s Centre Court for the second day in a row.

Gauff and Catherine McNally were eliminated in the third round of the women’s doubles. The Americans lost to Russian duo Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina, 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-3.

The Russians broke McNally’s serve for a 5-3 lead in the final set and Vesnina then served out the win.

The match was played on Centre Court under the retractable roof after the women’s singles quarterfinals because of rain.

The 17-year-old Gauff lost her fourth-round singles match Monday to Kerber.

A GAME AT LOVE

Ajla Tomljanovic is going to have to navigate a bit of a family conflict when it comes to the men’s quarterfinals.

Her boyfriend is Matteo Berrettini, the No. 7 seed from Italy. Her cousin is dating Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 16 seed from Canada.

Guess who plays each other at the All England Club on Wednesday? Yep, it’ll be Berrettini vs. Auger-Aliassime with a berth in the semifinals at stake.

Neither has been to the Wimbledon quarterfinals before.

“I’m happy one of them will be through on Wednesday,” said Tomljanovic, who lost to Barty in an all-Australian women’s quarterfinal.

“Of course, I’d rather see them in the final,” she added, “but I think it’s unbelievable that one of them will be in the semis.”

Berrettini was in Tomljanonvic’s box to cheer her on during her quarterfinal Tuesday. She said she will be returning the favor.

“I don’t have anything else to do,” she said. “I’m out. I think it’s my turn now.”