Wimbledon 2024 recap: Lorenzo Musetti stuns Taylor Fritz after Elena Rybakina powers through; Novak Djokovic handed bye

A pair of aces and the serve-plus one do all of the damage for Elena as she keeps the board ticking in her favour.

Svitolina got off the mark with a game to 30 and has just held to love to maintain her hopes of turning the tide.

Wow, what a turnaround!

Krejcikova piles the pressure on the Ostapenko serve and the Latvian buckles. It has been one of the key components of her charge to the last eight, but it’s not fired on all cylinders here.

Barbora keeps attacking and a blistering crosscourt forehand return is an eye-catching way to break again on the first of two opportunities.

The Czech will now serve for a spot in the semi finals.

Jelena threatens to wrestle the momentum back her way at 15-40 but can’t find the island on the al-important points and Krejcikova reaches the sanctuary of deuce.

A hefty serve and a crisp backhand do the damage from there and we are back on serve in the second.

The frustration is etched right across Elina’s face as Elena hammers down the big serves to wipe out and 0-30 deficit and consolidate from deuce via another flurry of forehands.  

Barbora holds to 15 and once again pushes hard for the break back.

This time she gets it as a big forehand forces the error and the Czech’s hopes of getting the job done in straight sets are still alive.

The alarm bells are ringing for Svitolina right now.

The No.4 seed is in the zone, rushing the Ukrainian with fast-paced, deep returns.

Svitolina survives a forehand miss to make deuce but Rybakina cannons two winners off that flank to break from deuce and immediately take charge of Set 2.

It’s quite simply clutch from the No.13 seed as whopping serves at just the right time fends off two break back point.

For once, the Latvian appears to take more care on her groundstrokes on her opponent’s third BP and the angles and depth force the error into the net.

Jelena has countless opportunities to finish it from there but eventually comes through unscathed to consolidate.

Rybakina makes her move!

The Kazakhstani puts together a ruthless combination of raw power and precision on the return to mercilessly break to love.

Elena then serves out on her second set point to pocket the first set in just 31 minutes.

Ostapenko comes through another examination on serve but hangs on from deuce with clutch serving, including her fourth ace of the day.

It proves significant as she finally makes inroads on the Krejcikova serve.

For the first time, the No.31 seed’s serene period of serving hits a stumbling block and a rapid crosscourt return forces a backhand into the net to ignite Ostapenko’s hopes.

What do you do when you miscue a forehand to feel some heat from 40-15 up?

Simply fire down your second ace of the afternoon, says Rybakina as she keeps her nose in front.

Svitolina coughs up a second double fault of the match. She knows she has to produce the goods on the second serve and is needing to be more bold.

Fortunately for her it arrives at 40-0 and she duly wraps up the game on the next point to tie the set.

Elena is beginning to find the rhythm on the big serve and plus-one. A first ace, a crisp volley and a couple of winners off each wing ease her through a game to 15.

Svitolina is the definition of a resilient counter puncher and she battles through a hold from 30-30 to level up.

The No.21 seed knows she’s going to have to be spot-on redirecting the power and coming up trumps in clutch moments if she’s to pull off the shock today.

Jelena digs out a scrappy hold from deuce after lapsing again at 40-15. The Latvian is delighted to avoid a déjà vu of what cost her the first set, but can do little to disrupt Krejcikova as the Czech motors through another clean hold to leap on to the board.

There’s no doubt Rybakina’s game suits grass, hence her 2022 SW19 title.

If she can tweak her radar and reduce the errors, she’s a heavy favourite here. Indeed, she appears to be doing just that as some gorgeous net play and powerhouse hitting off both flanks turns around a 15-30 concern and secures the first hold of the match.

It’s a sloppy start from Rybakina as a trio of errors off both wings allow Elina to get off to a flyer with the instant break.

The Ukrainian was wary of the No.4 seed’s big-hitting game in the build-up to this quarter-final and Elena shows just why in response, breaking back with a sizzling forehand down the line after Elina had double faulted to open the door.

Barbora remains locked-in and continues to slam down the first serve to clinch a 31-minute opener with the minimum of fuss.

Barbora has been imperious on serve for most of this opener.

The early double faults have been a real anomaly and she’s now up at 93 percent on first-serve points won.

A third ace of the afternoon helps her to a game to 15, but Jelena glides through her latest one to love in response.

Krejcikova will now serve for the set.

It’s a love hold apiece with Jelena still ruing that lapse from 40-15 up in Game 3. Will it cost her this opener?

Krejcikova has settled beautifully since those horrible double faults.

The No.31 seed plants down ace No.2 and darts to her right to arc a lovely crosscourt forehand pass to consolidate with a strong game to 15.

Ostapenko stays in touch with a hold to 30 to drag herself back on track after 40-0 almost turned sour.

Jelena purrs through a love hold to open and gets an immediate half chance when a nervy Barbora throws down back-to-back double faults.

The Czech steadies the ship and is then grateful for a couple of over-zealous strikes from her opponent to avert an early disaster.

Ostapenko can often be so hot and cold and it turns icy on the Latvian from 40-15 up as she leaks unforced errors left, right and centre to implode from deuce.