Wimbledon 2022: Elena Rybakina beats Ons Jabeur from set down to become Kazakhstan's first Grand Slam champion
- Elena Rybakina defeated Tunisian third seed Ons Jabeur in a thrilling Wimbledon final to become the first Kazakh woman to win a Grand Slam championship.
- Rybakina, 23, rallied to victory 3-6 6-2 6-2, becoming the first Wimbledon singles champion under 21 since 2011.
She improved after a rough opening set and forced Jabeur into mistakes.
Moscow-born Rybakina earned her victory in a year when Wimbledon forbade Russians from competing.
The Third seed Tunisian - dominated the opening set, but Rybakina - who knocked out 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep in the semi-final - fought back to become the first Kazakh to win a Grand Slam in stifling hot conditions on Centre Court..
The Duchess of Cambridge, who has openly supported Ukraine's war, gave Rybakina the Venus Rosewater Dish after she switched sides in 2018 after getting more financial aid from Kazakhstan.
Jabeur pulled a backhand wide on her first match point, giving the 17th seed the victory.
The new champion first shown little emotion, simply raising her right arm in the air as part of a subdued celebration.
Rybakina ran up a gangway of the stairs to hug her squad after giving Jabeur a hearty embrace at the net and receiving a polite round of applause.
_______
bbc sports
0 Comments