Wimbledon Day 10: Barty to lock horns with Pliskova in final

Both players have reached their maiden final at the grass-court Grand Slam in their career.

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty defeated 2018 champion Angelique Kerber to reach the women's singles final of Wimbledon 2021. Barty won in straight set 6-3, 7-6. She will now face Karolina Pliskova in the final.

After saving a breakpoint in a nervy opening game on a sunny Centre Court, the Australian was supreme in the first set as her all-court game flowed on the grass. The 33-year-old Kerber used all her experience on the surface to hit back in the second set and looked poised to take it into a decider. However, Barty got back to the groove and broke to love.

Kerber’s game went off from thereon. Ashleigh Barty surged into a 6-0 lead in the second-set tiebreaker. Despite, missing out on three match points, she was never going to let her opportunity slip. A netted backhand from Kerber sent Barty through to her second Grand Slam final, having won the French Open in 2019. The 25-year-old will now aim to emulate her idol Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who won two Wimbledon crowns in her career.

Pliskova's fine run continues

On the other hand, Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova overcame Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in a fiercely competitive semi-final of Wimbledon 2021. Pliskova had not dropped a set en route to the semi-final but found herself a set down in this match. Sabalenka had won a tour-leading 34 matches this year and showed exactly why she is in such a rich vein of form in the opening set.

However, the Czech battled back into the contest by winning the second set. In the decisive third set, Pliskova continued her momentum despite the best efforts of Sabalenka. Therefore, the 29-year-old is all set to play in her second Grand Slam final, five years after her first at the US Open.

Pliskova will face Ashleigh Barty in Saturday’s showpiece. It will be the first time since 1977 that both finalists are in their maiden Wimbledon final.

Federer's future unclear

Eight-time champion Roger Federer's future remains in doubt, following his early departure from Wimbledon on Wednesday night. The Swiss maestro suffered a 3-6, 6-7, 0-6 defeat against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.

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The World No. 18 Hurkacz had never been beyond the second round of a Grand Slam prior to defeating Federer. The 24-year-old overcame his tennis idol in a stunning straight set victory. It was Federer's first straight set defeat in Wimbledon since Mario Ancic beat him in a first-round match in 2002. Following the match, the packed crowd at the All England Club's Centre Court gave Federer a standing ovation.

The manner of his defeat might hasten his retirement. Speaking to the media, Federer said, "My goal for the last year was to try to play another Wimbledon......I would like to play it again, but at my age, you're just never sure what's around the corner."

The 39-year-old will now hope to recuperate, with the Tokyo Olympics just a fortnight away. Federer will switch his focus towards winning a second Olympic gold medal and a first in the men's singles event.

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