Wimbledon 2022 semi final live – Ons Jabeur versus Tatjana Maria

Ons Jabeur serves the contest out to 15 and books her place in Saturday’s Wimbledon final. The Tunisian No.3 seed stepped up a gear in the deciding set to outclass the world No.103 and maintain her perfect run on grass this year.

Jabeur will now meet Simona Halep or Elena Rybakina in a showdown for the trophy.

Does Maria still believe? She’s probably the only one on Centre Court if she does, but at least the German avoids the bagel with a resilient hold to 15.

Ons will now serve for the match.

Maria makes another dart towards the net but glides a forehand way out of court. It sums up her current state of mind as Jabeur backs up the double break with a routine game to 15. The Tunisian is one away from the Wimbledon final.

That could be curtains for Tatjana.

She races into the net for the smash but snatches at the forehand and blows it way long of the baseline. It’s a cruel way for her to cough up the double break after saving Jabeur’s first break point of the game with a brilliant low slice, lob combo.

The No.3 seed wastes little time in consolidating the break with a confident game to 15.

Ons makes her move! The Tunisian works her way to a break point and with a wave of her wand despatches a beauty of a crosscourt forehand pass.

Wow! Jabeur rampages through a love hold to open Set 3, finishing it off by jumping into a brutal crosscourt backhand that Maria can only watch and begrudgingly admire.

Second seed Rafael Nadal suffered a 7mm abdominal tear in his quarter-final win at Wimbledon ahead of his clash with Nick Kyrgios, reports have revealed.

More on this via our story below.

The good news for the neutral is that this marvellous spectacle is going the distance.

Maria is playing with so much more belief now and serves out the second set with a clinical game to 15.

Jabeur could yet come away from this showdown with a montage of some of the best shots of the tournament, but not a place in the final.

She produces an astonishing no-look backhand, flick pass to stroll 30-0 up but then wobbles. Maria lures another forehand into the net to tee up set point but the Tunisian maintains composure to back up a scorching forehand with a neat volley at the net.

The German can’t quite apply the same heat from deuce and Jabeur poses the serve-out question with another sensational passage of tennis as she races to her left to pick up a stun volley with a quite magnificent crosscourt flick.

Talk about clinging on. Jabeur takes charge of the rally at 40-30 but makes a real meal of a couple of smashes to force deuce. Maria keeps the point alive and then raises her arm aloft in triumph when her opponent contrives to thump a clunky forehand long.

The German's comeback has really gathered pace and she is now just a game away from taking us into a decider.

That is shear artistry. Jabeur scampers into the net, fakes a forehand and nicks an exquisite drop shot over the net to conclude a hold to 15 with real panache.

Maria takes charge at 40-15 but Jabeur hits back with a delightful volley before producing one of the shots of the tournament with a no-look forehand pass while facing the wrong way.

The German bites back and despite throwing down a double fault she combines a brilliant lob with more delicious slice to force a backhand error long and consolidate her break.

Lift off for the German? Ons pretty much breaks herself from 30-30 when she drags a forehand just wide before throwing in a high-bouncing drop shot that Maria duly punishes to claim the break.

Great spirit! Maria throws in a third double fault of the match and finds herself up against two more break points.

She saves the first with a fine volley at the net before luring an error long with a bewitching short slice. Ons then blows another forehand long despite dictating at deuce and loses the game when she slices wide.

More frustration for Maria. She works hard to carve out a half chance at deuce but then zaps a forehand attempt up the line tamely into the net. Ons then copes with the slice-a-thon to dart into the net and pound away a volley to close out the game.

To say that was much-needed is an understatement. Maria purrs through her best hold of serve yet with a game to 15 to start Set 2 in a much more positive fashion.

Jabeur is on the charge! The Tunisian serves out a 38-minute set to love to put one toe in the final. Can Maria mount another fight back or will the No.3 seed continue to fire now that she has found her full repertoire?