Queensland expertise Emerson Jones turns into the primary Australian in 13 years to achieve a Wimbledon ladies’ singles ultimate.
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 mentioned.
Fortunately, it has became a extra memorable birthday week for the Gold Coast teen.
Jones continued her spectacular development within the Wimbledon 2024 ladies’ singles competitors at present, scoring a 7-5 6-1 victory in opposition to American Iva Jovic within the semifinals.
“It was a extremely, actually thrilling day,” mentioned an elated Jones, after surviving a spirited problem from the sixth seed to triumph in 85 minutes.
A good first set was stuffed with momentum swings. Jones gained the primary three video games, then the 16-year-old Jovic claimed the following 4.
“I performed fairly strong in the beginning and he or she undoubtedly 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 a protracted sport and I used to be pondering ‘I most likely must 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 had been excessive as she tried to shut out the match.
“I simply thought ‘I’ve acquired to maintain my head, I can’t suppose too far forward’,” she mentioned after failing to transform her first three match factors. “(I used to be attempting 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 ultimate within the Open period and the primary to achieve 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 will likely be trying so as to add her title to that unique record when she meets high seed Renata Jamrichova in a rematch of this 12 months’s Australian Open ladies’ singles ultimate.
Though the big-hitting Slovak gained their Australian Open encounter in straight units, Jones is worked up for the prospect to redeem that outcome.
“I’m fairly excited simply to be even taking part in a ultimate of junior Wimby,” mentioned 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’m going.”
The third-seeded Jones can take confidence from her impeccable performances this week, which incorporates reaching the singles ultimate with out conceding a set and in addition advancing to the doubles semifinals.
“My sport does swimsuit grass, hitting the ball onerous and flat,” she mentioned. “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 achieve two Grand Slam ladies’ singles finals in a single season in 26 years. Jelena Dokic was the final to attain this feat, when she gained 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 might nonetheless turn into much more memorable if she secures her first Grand Slam title, she’s not dashing to make any celebration plans but.
“I don’t even need to take into consideration that to be sincere,” she mentioned. “I’ve simply acquired to consider how I’m going to play tomorrow and hopefully the outcome comes.”
Aussies in motion – Wimbledon
RESULTS
Ladies’ singles, semifinals
[3] Emerson Jones (AUS) d [6] Iva Jovic (USA) 7-5 6-1
Ladies’ 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
Ladies’ singles, ultimate
[3] Emerson Jones (AUS) v [1] Renata Jamrichova (SVK)
Discover your method to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on courtroom and have some enjoyable!
