3 days ago
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World fig 1 Aryna Sabalenka was anxious to acceptable the grounds consecutive during her post-match interrogation connected Centre Court arsenic she played down making a remark astir Laura Siegemund's crippled successful the build-up.
Sabalenka secured her spot successful the Wimbledon semi-finals connected Tuesday successful what was the third-longest lucifer of this year's Championships astatine 2 hours and 54 minutes.
The 27-year-old, who dropped her archetypal acceptable of Wimbledon 2025 against Siegemund, recorded a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 triumph implicit the resilient German, who antecedently described her ain crippled benignant arsenic "annoying".
And aft defending driblet shots and slices throughout, that "annoying" punctuation was wrongly attributed to Sabalenka during her post-match interrogation with Lee McKenzie, though she was speedy to acceptable the grounds straight.
McKenzie asked Sabalenka: "You said beforehand that Laura has an annoying game, you meant that successful a complimentary way..."
Sabalenka wagged her digit successful effect to the question. Image credit: BBC
Sabalenka interrupted and explained that it was Siegemund who said it and not her. "No, no, no, I didn't accidental that," she said. "They asked a question saying that she said that she has an annoying game. I didn't accidental that, conscionable to marque it clear!"
Moments later, McKenzie rephrased the question, adding: "But successful a complimentary way, she pushes you to bash things that you mightiness not privation to do. How existent bash you person to enactment to yourself, and judge successful yourself successful these moments?"
Sabalenka replied: "It's not similar it's an annoying game, it's a astute game. She's truly making everyone enactment against her. Going into the lucifer against her, you cognize that you person to enactment for each point.
"It doesn't substance if you're a large server, if you're a large hitter, you person to work, you person to tally and you person to gain the win. Honestly, I was conscionable trying to absorption connected myself and marque definite I don't springiness her that energy.
"I didn't privation her to spot that I was annoyed oregon thing by her, adjacent if I was a small spot astatine immoderate points."
Sabalenka hits her racket connected the nett during her quarter-final lucifer against Laura Siegemund. Image credit: Getty
Sabalenka added: "But I was conscionable trying not to springiness her that energy. She pushed maine truthful much. Honestly, aft the archetypal acceptable I was looking astatine my container and thinking, 'Guys, publication the tickets, I deliberation we're astir to permission this beauteous city.' She played an unthinkable tourney and match."
The 27-year-old is connected the verge of making her archetypal Wimbledon final, but she volition person to bushed Amanda Anisimova to get there.
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