<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Elena Rybakina can move closer to a second Wimbledon title on Thursday when she faces Barbora Krejcikova armed with one of the All England Club's deadliest serves.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Krejcikova is in her first Wimbledon semi-final as are Jasmine Paolini and Donna Vekic, who contest Thursday's other tie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rybakina, the 2022 champion, is the overwhelming favourite to sweep to a second title at the All England Club.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Russian-born Kazakh, seeded fourth, has hit a joint tournament best of 31 aces and has dropped serve just six times.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 1.83 metre (6 feet) Rybakina has unleashed 134 winners and spent only six hours and 14 minutes on court through five rounds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Of course I have such amazing memories from 2022 and I'm just enjoying every time I step on the court, especially when I play good. It's just really amazing," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"In 2022 I was definitely more nervous than now. It was the first time for me to play on Centre Court. It was a lot of people, a lot of attention. Now, of course, I got used to it a little bit."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Krejcikova, the French Open champion in 2021, has spent over three hours more on court than Rybakina in getting to her first Wimbledon semi-final.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 28-year-old played the longest women's match of the tournament in the first round, three hours and 14 minutes, to see off Veronika Kudermetova.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Such resilience would have been difficult to imagine earlier this year, when Krejcikova was laid low by injury and illness.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She also went winless between February and June.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It was a very, very difficult period," said the Czech 31st seed who admitted she had surprised herself by making the semi-finals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I was out. I was ill and injured, this and that. Always coming back and getting ill again. Coming back, getting ill."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Krejcikova can at least take comfort from knowing that she has defeated Rybakina in both of their previous meetings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before this season, Paolini appeared destined to spend her career on the fringes of the women's game, a top-30 player making a comfortable living but falling well short of stardom.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 16 appearances at the Grand Slams she had failed to get past the second round.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, that changed with a fourth-round run at the Australian Open, a first WTA 1,000-level title in Dubai and a runner-up spot at the French Open.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now the 28-year-old, who stands at a modest 1.63 metres, is in the semi-finals of Wimbledon, having never won a grass-court match until last month.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I didn't realise before, but my coach was telling me that I could play well here. I wasn't believing too much," said the modest seventh-ranked Italian.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Paolini has thrived in her return game at Wimbledon, breaking serve 28 times.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, that skill could be tested against Vekic, who has hit 28 aces through five rounds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vekic is in her first Grand Slam semi-final in her 43rd attempt.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the Open era, only four players have taken longer to make such a significant breakthrough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vekic has plenty of experience on her coaching staff in the shape of Pam Shriver, a three-time semi-finalist in the 1980s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"She has all the experience, so she can help me in some crucial moments. She's great fun. I'm really proud to have her in my team," said the 28-year-old Croatian.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>