One is motivated by a significant anniversary, another rediscovered the grass is definitely greener for her form, a third is driven on by “...
One is motivated by a significant anniversary, another rediscovered the grass is definitely greener for her form, a third is driven on by “brutal” critics and the fourth, the girl with a tiger tattoo, finds herself in unknown Grand Slam territory.
The stage is set for the women’s Wimbledon semi-finals on Thursday with three of the contenders new to the experience.
Headline names such as 2019 champion Simona Halep, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka and seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams are missing but there is the present world number one and two former number ones in the last four.
Ashleigh Barty’s clash with Angelique Kerber would be fit for a final, pitching the world number one against the 2018 Wimbledon champion.
The other semi is an intriguing duel between former world number one Karolina Pliskova and the powerful second seed from Belarus, Aryna Sabalenka.
Barty is motivated by a higher purpose.
For it is 50 years ago her fellow indigenous Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley won the first of her two Wimbledon titles.
Barty has worn a specially-designed dress as a tribute to the ‘iconic’ scallop one her “friend and mentor” wore in that 1971 final.
“It’s a really special anniversary for a lot of Australians, but for indigenous Australians in particular,” said Barty at the...
