Elena Rybakina beat Simona Halep to set up a Wimbledon 2022 women's singles final with Ons Jabeur.
The 23-year-old ended Halep's winning run of 12 straight matches at 21 sets at the championships with a hugely impressive 6-3 6-3 victory over the 2019 champion.
Rybakina will face Jabeur after the Tunisian knocked out Tatjana Maria to become the first Arab player to reach a Grand Slam singles final in the Open Era.
Rybakina roars onto the biggest stage
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2022
The 23-year-old defeats Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 to reach her first Grand Slam final#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/u0jfhZlDEA
The world number 23 joined Jabeur in making history as she became the first Kazakh player to reach this stage of a major championship, securing the victory with her first match point via a stylish backhand return winner.
Jabeur and Maria were emotional after the third seed won 6-2 3-6 6-1 in a clash between two players who are close friends off the court. Maria stayed in Jabeur's home when she played in Miami.
The finalist ushered Maria back to the middle of Centre Court after an embrace at the net. The German, who has hit the headlines as a 34-year-old playing 15 months after the birth of her second child, received a warm ovation from the crowd.
Maria was bidding to become the lowest-ranked woman to reach the final and threatened an upset before Jabeur recaptured her scintillating top form to cruise through the third set.
"I'm a proud Tunisian woman here today and I know in Tunisia they are going crazy right now," Jabeur said afterwards, describing her run as "a dream come true after years and years of work and sacrifice".
She added: "I try to inspire as much as I can and I want to see more Arab and African players on the tour."
What a moment.#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/Qll3io0GGW
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2022
Ons Jabeur vs. Tatjana Maria result
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ons Jabeur (3) | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Tatjana Maria | 2 | 6 | 1 |
Elena Rybakina vs. Simona Halep result
| 1 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Elena Rybakina (17) | 6 | 6 |
| Simona Halep (16) | 3 | 3 |
Wimbledon 2022 final: Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina's Grand Slam records
Jabeur has progressed beyond the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam for the first time in her 10-year senior tour career.
The 27-year-old only reached the final eight of a major for the first time at the 2020 Australian Open, although she showed promise by reaching a Wimbledon quarterfinal in 2021, becoming the first Tunisian player and the first Arabian woman to reach that stage at SW19.
Rybakina's sole quarterfinal appearance at a Grand Slam was at the 2021 French Open, when she was unfortunate to be knocked out in a 16-game third set by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
MORE: Wimbledon 2022 schedule: What rounds are on which days and how to watch
The Moscow-born player reached the fourth round of a major for the only other previous time in her career at Wimbledon 2021, when Aryna Sabalenka beat her in three sets.
When is the Wimbledon 2022 women's singles final?
Jabeur and Rybakina will meet on Saturday, July 9 at 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. ET/11 p.m. AEST) to decide the successor to 2021 champion Ashleigh Barty, who has since retired.
How to watch the women's final of Wimbledon 2022
- UK: BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Red Button and BBC Radio 5 Live will be covering the championships.
- USA: Viewers in the United States can watch through ESPN, ESPN2 and subscribe to Tennis Channel to stream the action.
- Canada: TSN are the carriers of ATP tournaments in Canada, including all of the action from Wimbledon.
- Australia: Fox Sports, Foxtel Now and Seven Network will provide Wimbledon coverage in Australia.
Ons Jabeur vs. Elena Rybakina odds
| Player to win | UK (Skybet) | USA (Draftkings) | Canada (Sports Interaction) | Australia (TAB) |
| Ons Jabeur | 4/6 | — | — | — |
| Elena Rybakina | 11/10 | — | — | — |
