Queensland expertise Emerson Jones turns into the primary Australian in 13 years to succeed in a Wimbledon ladies’ singles remaining.
London, Nice Britain, 14 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers
When Emerson Jones celebrated her sixteenth birthday at Wimbledon earlier this week, it proved fairly forgettable.
“Ready across the courts all day as a result of it was raining, that was all I did,” she stated.
Fortunately, it has was a extra memorable birthday week for the Gold Coast teen.
Jones continued her spectacular development within the Wimbledon 2024 ladies’ singles competitors right now, scoring a 7-5 6-1 victory in opposition to American Iva Jovic within the semifinals.
“It was a extremely, actually thrilling day,” stated an elated Jones, after surviving a spirited problem from the sixth seed to triumph in 85 minutes.
A good first set was filled with momentum swings. Jones received the primary three video games, then the 16-year-old Jovic claimed the following 4.
“I performed fairly stable initially and she or he positively upped her sport,” Jones famous.
At five-all, Jones reeled off eight consecutive factors to safe the opening set.
She maintained her momentum by holding in a marathon opening sport within the second set, the place she saved 5 break factors.
“That was such an extended sport and I used to be pondering ‘I most likely have to get this sport, as a result of whoever wins this sport might be going to be higher mentally’,” Jones associated.
After constructing a cushty second-set lead, Jones admitted her nerves have been excessive as she tried to shut out the match.
“I simply thought ‘I’ve acquired to maintain my head, I can’t assume too far forward’,” she stated after failing to transform her first three match factors. “(I used to be making an attempt to) simply give attention to the place I used to be going to hit the ball.”
She finally clinched victory with a backhand winner, her thirty first winner of the match.
With this effort, Jones turns into simply the seventh Australian to progress to a Wimbledon ladies’ singles remaining within the Open period and the primary to succeed in this stage in 13 years.
| Wimbledon ladies’ singles Australian finalists in Open period | |
| Participant | 12 months |
| Lesley Hunt | 1968 |
| Debbie Freeman | 1980 |
| Susan Leo | 1980 |
| Jenny Byrne | 1985 |
| Kirrily Sharpe | 1990 |
| Ash Barty | 2011 |
| Emerson Jones | 2024 |
Solely two Australians – Debbie Freeman (1980) and Ash Barty (2011) – have gone on to win the title.
Jones might be trying so as to add her identify to that unique checklist when she meets high seed Renata Jamrichova in a rematch of this yr’s Australian Open ladies’ singles remaining.
Though the big-hitting Slovak received their Australian Open encounter in straight units, Jones is happy for the possibility to redeem that end result.
“I’m fairly excited simply to be even enjoying a remaining of junior Wimby,” stated Jones, who believes she is healthier ready to face 17-year-old Jamrichova this time.
“I understand how she performs and what she does a bit higher now. Clearly she’s a extremely nice participant, so we’ll simply see how I am going.”
The third-seeded Jones can take confidence from her impeccable performances this week, which incorporates reaching the singles remaining with out conceding a set and in addition advancing to the doubles semifinals.
“My sport does go well with grass, hitting the ball laborious and flat,” she stated. “However I’ve additionally been actually good mentally right here. I’ve had robust matches in opposition to fairly good ladies and I’ve been fairly good with dealing with myself beneath the stress.”
This has helped Jones turn into the primary Australian to succeed in two Grand Slam ladies’ singles finals in a single season in 26 years. Jelena Dokic was the final to realize this feat, when she received the US Open and was a Roland Garros finalist in 1998.
Three years earlier Annabel Ellwood, who’s now the spouse of Jones’ coach David Taylor, additionally contested two main ladies’ singles finals in a season (Australian Open and US Open in 1995).
Whereas Jones’ birthday week may nonetheless turn into much more memorable if she secures her first Grand Slam title, she’s not speeding to make any celebration plans but.
“I don’t even need to take into consideration that to be sincere,” she stated. “I’ve simply acquired to consider how I’m going to play tomorrow and hopefully the end result comes.”
Aussies in motion – Wimbledon
RESULTS
Women’ singles, semifinals
[3] Emerson Jones (AUS) d [6] Iva Jovic (USA) 7-5 6-1
Women’ doubles, semifinals
[2] Iva Jovic (USA)/Tyra Caterina Grant (USA) d [6] Emerson Jones (AUS)/Vittoria Paganetti (ITA) 7-5 7-6(5)
COMING UP
Women’ singles, remaining
[3] Emerson Jones (AUS) v [1] Renata Jamrichova (SVK)
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