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Amanda Anisimova has lit up women’s singles semifinals day at Wimbledon, by stunning top seed Aryna Sabalenka to reach Saturday’s final.
The U.S. star and 13th seed beat the world No. 1 after three compelling sets on Centre Court (6-4, 4-6, 6-4). Iga Świątek (8) is now leading unseeded Belinda Bencic after a dominant first set in the other semifinal with a spot alongside Anisimova in the final on the line.
The mixed doubles final will complete today’s order of play on Wimbledon’s primary show court, while the men’s doubles semifinals are also playing out today on No. 1 Court.
Świątek 6-2, 5-0* Bencic
And she held that service game with an unfortunate slip for Bencic preventing her from reaching a return.
This has been so dominant that Amanda Anisimova must be watching on with a good degree of fear.
It's so composed from Świątek.
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Świątek 6-2, *4-0 Bencic
We're moving towards what looks like an inevitable conclusion in this match as Świątek lands another break.
The way she has built momentum throughout the rounds here at Wimbledon has been impressive off the back of defeat at the French Open, where she was defending champion.
If she keeps playing like this, she'll be in with a shot of her first SW19 title.
Nbarrett: I lived in England for 12 years (1990s – early aughts) and we rarely experienced this kind of sustained heat. I remember bringing a warm jacket when I attended the tournament. My friends there tell me the climate really has changed. More sun, higher temps. The AC business is booming. My heart goes out to the spectators who are lucky enough to get a Centre Court seat but then sit for hours in the sun. And to the athletes. I cannot imagine playing with such intensity under the hot sun.
Anonymous: Sitting in direct sunlight for hours, even at 82 degrees, can take a toll on anyone of any age.
Joe F.: Goes to show how well the players are doing by playing so well in direct sunlight.
GO FURTHER
Both Wimbledon women’s semifinals halted due to unwell supporters on Centre Court
Świątek 6-2, 3-0* Bencic
There's not much Bencic can do to stem the flow of points headed Świątek's way here — she's putting on a masterclass.
That was a game that lasted fewer minutes than the number of points she needed to win to take it.
Świątek 6-2, *2-0 Bencic
We're just 51 minutes into this match and Iga Świątek is flying.
It already looks like there's no stopping her as she's well on her way to taking this second set with another break.
She's hit four return winners. The onus is on Bencic to halt her progress.
Granollers/Zeballos 3-6, 4-6 Glasspool/Cash
Nice and tidy for the No. 5 seed duo of Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash in their men's doubles semifinal against No. 4 seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
The British pair breaks serve twice en route to a win in straight sets and will now not only be heavily favored against unseeded David Pel and Rinky Hijikata in the final but also surely have the crowd at their backs on home soil.
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Świątek 6-2, 1-0* Bencic
She's back on the board in the second set with a hold but it wasn't all plain sailing there for Świątek.
There was a wobble in the middle of that game as she made back-to-back double faults before eventually holding from 40-40.
An early break for Bencic would really have changed the tempo of this set.
Bencic wants to redirect forehand-to-forehand rallies at the first opportunity, because Świątek's forehand is the heaviest and probably the best in the women's game when it is firing.
Bencic is taking the ball down the line to set up a backhand-to-backhand exchange, because Bencic's backhand is the flattest and probably the best in the women's game when it is on, next to Amanda Anisimova's.
That makes Świątek's backhand down the line (back into Bencic's forehand) a crucial shot for her. How well she hits it is also a good barometer for how she is feeling on the court.
The one she cracked on to the sideline late in the first set suggests she is feeling more than good, and Bencic has little answer to her at the moment.
Świątek 6-2, *0-0 Bencic
The momentum is with the five-time Grand Slam winner now.
Świątek has been playing some lovely attacking tennis and she gets a late break in the set to wrap it up and take the lead.
She is dropping off a touch at the baseline when Bencic is serving and it seems to be working for her.
High-quality start to this second semifinal. Świątek has hit 11 winners against just four unforced errors, while Bencic has hit six winners compared to only two unforced errors. But it's Świątek with the advantage, having broken in Bencic's first service game. She leads 5-2.
Świątek *5-2 Bencic
She holds again and lets out a shout when she wins the deciding point in that game.
We're not seeing many lengthy rallies between the two players so far, with Świątek just one game away from taking the set.
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Świątek *4-2 Bencic
Taking things early worked well for Bencic in that game, as she won the point from her opening serve for the first time in the match.
She's only got one unforced error so far but Świątek has been clinical with the winners when it matters.
Świątek 4-1* Bencic
And she's looking good in this opening set.
Bencic pushed back and managed to get a couple of rallies going to win a point in that game but it was still a comfortable enough hold for the former World No. 1.
Świątek *3-1 Bencic
That was a better service game from Bencic, who looked comfortable and breezed through the points pretty swiftly there.
Let's see if Świątek can press home her early advantage.
Świątek 3-0* Bencic
Swiatek was on a roll there before that break in play — the good news is that the players have been given the green light to resume things now.
Świątek 3-0* Bencic
We've just got a pause in play here on Centre Court while a spectator receives some medical attention.
It's a pretty hot day here in the UK and portions of the stands are firmly in the sun all day long.
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Świątek 3-0* Bencic
This is a confident start from the Pole.
She's playing some good tennis here and looks willing to attack this one.
Świątek *2-0 Bencic
Among the four women to reach the semifinals of the singles competition, Świątek is ranked highest for return of serve and it helped her land an early break there.
Bencic hit the deck reaching for a return in one rally and looked to have jarred her knee but got up quickly and bounced back.
This has been a pretty measured and quiet start from the two players compared to the blood and thunder finish of the previous semifinal here on Centre.
Is it possible that Iga Świątek looks even more focused and serious than usual today? Impressive first two games from the No. 8 seed.
