Wimbledon 2023 Ladies’ semi-final recap: Ons Jabeur hits back to beat Aryna Sabalenka to set up final clash with Marketa Vondrousova

It’s all over! Ons Jabeur produces another magical comeback victory, serving out to 30 on her fifth match point, to down World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka and book a spot in her second Wimbledon final.

The Tunisian looked forlorn at 7-6 4-2 down but rallied hard to force a decider where she completely outplayed the Belarusian to go on and seal victory in two hours and 19 minutes.

Jabeur, the runner-up just 12 months ago, will now meet Marketa Vondrousova in Saturday’s showdown for the trophy as she bids for her maiden Grand Slam title.

The desire and hunger are still there.

Sabalenka survives two match points and poses the serve-out question with a sumptuous backhand winner down the line.

Jabeur will now serve for a place in the final.

Sabalenka can't handle the depth of a return at 30-30 and challenges after stabbing a poor shot into the net ... it's OUT!

The No.2 seed saves MP with 10th ace and then needs to swat away a second....

Ons is just a game away from back-to-back Wimbledon finals.

The Tunisian consolidates to 15 and Aryna has it all to do now if she’s to keep her 2023 SW19 dream alive.

Who wants a place in the final more? It’s pretty much impossible to say such is the desire from both players right now.

Aryna refuses to buckle from 0-30 and then at deuce where she bravely repels two break points without ever shirking her natural desire to go big on every shot.

Jabeur keeps probing though and when a third chance comes along Sabalenka can’t resist attacking a low slice and ends up drilling a backhand just long.

Jabeur has the break and may well be about to come from behind to claim another big scalp here.

Sabalenka is not a happy bunny out there. She’s clearly struggling to contain Jabeur and keep her own emotions steady.

The Belarusian nails two big, big winners but Ons remains focused on the task in hand and keeps pushing the board in her favour with a hold to 30.

This game is more of a grind for the World No.2 but she manages to squirm through it with the help of some big serving ands a forehand long from Jabeur on game point.

It clearly had no affect whatsoever on Jabeur though. The Tunisian blitzes through her own clean hold in blink and you’ll miss it fashion.

Talk about trying to send an intimidating message down to the other end of the court.

Sabalenka chalks up a very impressive love hold and follows the concluding point with a huge roar of defiance.

Jabeur shrugs off dropping the first point of Set 3 and blasts her way to a strong hold to assume the scoreboard advantage.

These two are playing some incredible tennis right now.

Ons lights up the court with an electric backhand up the line before Aryna handles another sizzling return with a perfectly timed forehand to execute a perfect 1-2 punch.

It’s the Tunisian who seems to be red-lining though and she zaps away a backhand winner to level the match after a wild miss from the World No.2 had offered up set point.

Jabeur was 4-2 down and staring down the barrel, but she summoned something extra from there to charge through four games on the spin and leave us all wondering who is going to book a spot in the 2023 final?

Sabalenka dusts herself down and immediately sets off on a hunt for another break.

The Belarusian zaps away a supreme crosscourt backhand and then lures a volleyed error on the stretch from her opponent to tee up break point.

Jabeur produces sensational defence to fend it off and then plays clutch tennis from deuce to eke her nose in front at the business end of the set.

Tunisia’s treasure is back in business!

Jabeur looks to up the ante with a brilliant backhand down the line to pose a question at 30-30. Sabalenka seems to be in trouble when the Tunisian glides in to angle away a short volley, but the Belarusian shows real wheels to chase it down and push a backhand up the line.

Ons conjures up a sizzling return to press again at deuce but then rattles a forehand on the run into the net following a pulsating 13-shot rally where every blade of grass seemed to be covered.

The Belarusian can’t quite wriggle free though, in what feels like the game of the match so far, and a double fault is followed by a pressurised forehand into the net as Jabeur breaks back.

The majority of the Centre Court crowd are mostly pro Ons and there is an element of deflation in the air as a result of how this is currently looking for the No.6 seed.

Jabeur does her best to re-energise them with a strong hold to 15 to stay in contention but she’s going to need to find another gear to really make them believe.

That is red-hot form from Sabalenka as she thunders a seventh ace and a 23rd winner en route to consolidating with a superb game to love.

What an earth happened there?

Sabalenka looks to take charge with some big forehands and all of a sudden Ons can’t handle the heat.

The Tunisian is faced with triple break point and can offer no resistance, throwing in a double fault to break herself to love.

Anyone familiar with Aryna’s game knows it’s pretty much all about the power, but she has developed plenty of additional strings to her bow over the years and she produces a deft touch of class to bamboozle Ons with lovely drop shot to seal a solid hold to 30.

Jabeur hammers down just her second ace of the contest to put the full stop on a rapid clean hold after Sabalenka had sprayed a couple of needless unforced errors.