Wimbledon News: Elena Rybakina final against Ons Jabeur, who is the first woman from Africa to reach the Grand Slam final

The 23-year-old Kazakh won the match in just one hour and 15 minutes and showed Halep her first loss at Wimbledon since 2018. The Kazakh will now encounter another first-time Grand Slam finalist, number three seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, for the Wimbledon title on Saturday. 

Jabeur currently leads head-to-head 2-1, although Rybakina won her first match against the third seed in 2019, and Jabeur won both meetings last year. Rybakina became the first player representing Kazakhstan, female or male, to enter a Grand Slam singles semi-final and now has also made a new record. The world number 23 became the youngest Wimbledon finalist since Garbine Muguruza in 2015. She is now targetting her third career singles title, but first in two-and-a-half years.

Halep secured 14 winners, which cancelled out in front of eight double faults, two of which were made during breakpoints. Halep had not lost a set in her path to the semi-finals but couldn't outclass Rybakina, who exhibited groundstroke depth and secured a break for 2-0 in the second set. Halep saved the following four break points and levelled the score. However, Rybakina fought and rolled her fifth ace of the day to hit 5-3. Halep tried to persist, but Rybakina converted her first match point with a backhand return winner and advanced to the final. 

Ons Jabeur resurfaces after a set down and enters the final.

Ons Jabeur became the first African woman in the Open era to set up a Grand Slam singles final after thrashing Tatjana Maria in the Wimbledon semi-finals. The world number two registered a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory and now stands proud of being the first Arab player to make a Slam semi-final. Jabeur tackled the first set with ease as she broke in the third and seventh games. The Tunisian scored 15 winners in contrast to her opponent's six in the first set and did not face a single break point. Maria, good friends with Jabeur, broke through for 3-1 in the second set.

Jabeur then made 17 unforced errors in the second set, and Maria surprised the crowd by making just six. She won the second set, but the 103rd-ranked Maria's bid was soon crushed when Jabeur secured a double break for a 5-0 advantage in the third set. She then scripted history after winning her second match point.