Gayathri Kallukaran is a Junior Journalist with Eastern Eye. She has a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from St. Paul’s College, Bengaluru, and brings over five years of experience in content creation, including two years in digital journalism. She covers stories across culture, lifestyle, travel, health, and technology, with a creative yet fact-driven approach to reporting. Known for her sensitivity towards human interest narratives, Gayathri’s storytelling often aims to inform, inspire, and empower. Her journey began as a layout designer and reporter for her college’s daily newsletter, where she also contributed short films and editorial features. Since then, she has worked with platforms like FWD Media, Pepper Content, and Petrons.com, where several of her interviews and features have gained spotlight recognition. Fluent in English, Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi, she writes in English and Malayalam, continuing to explore inclusive, people-focused storytelling in the digital space.
Jannik Sinner beat Ben Shelton 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 to reach his second Wimbledon semi-final.
The world No. 1 showed no signs of elbow trouble, bouncing back after his previous injury scare.
Sinner was clinical on key points, breaking Shelton late in the second and third sets.
He extended his winning streak to 20 straight matches against American players.
The 23-year-old will now face Novak Djokovic in a rematch of the 2023 semi-final.
World number one Jannik Sinner shrugged off any doubts about his injured elbow to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the second time with a clinical defeat of powerful American 10th seed Ben Shelton on Wednesday.
A high-octane contest on a muggy Court One was decided by slender margins with Italian Sinner seizing the few opportunities that came his way in ruthless fashion for a 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4 victory.
The 23-year-old Sinner, bidding to become the first Italian to win Wimbledon, will face seven-times champion Novak Djokovic, the man he lost to in the 2023 semis, in the last four on Friday.
Sinner dropped two points on serve in the opening set but could make no impression on Shelton's booming delivery either before reeling off seven points to storm through the tiebreak.
Shelton continued slugging it out with the three-time Grand Slam champion but the American faltered at 4-5 in the second set, Sinner taking control as he converted just his second break point opportunity of the contest.
It was a repeat performance in the third set as Sinner applied the pressure in the 10th game and Shelton duly cracked, serving a double-fault before bashing a forehand long on match point after two hours and 19 minutes.
Sinner has now won an incredible 20 successive Tour-level matches against American players and his last 15 sets against Shelton who must be sick of the sight of him.
After Monday's lucky escape against Grigor Dimitrov who retired hurt when leading by two sets after Sinner had appeared to also suffer an elbow injury, this was business as usual for the man who has reached the last four Grand Slam semi-finals.
"Of course, the feelings are definitely different. I'm very, very happy about today's performance," Sinner said.
Sinner's suspect elbow was given a thorough test by the 140mph serving of Shelton, but apart from one moment in the second set he appeared untroubled by it.
"When you are in a match with a lot of tension, you try to not think about it," he said.
Amanda Anisimova defeats world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets
The American advances to her first Grand Slam final
Sabalenka’s run of Grand Slam finals ends
Anisimova will face either Swiatek or Bencic on Saturday
With the win, Anisimova is projected to reach world No. 7
American tennis star Amanda Anisimova produced the biggest win of her career by defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the semi-finals of Wimbledon on Thursday. The result sends the 23-year-old into her first Grand Slam final, where she will face either Iga Swiatek or Belinda Bencic on Saturday.
The contest on Centre Court lasted two hours and 37 minutes and was interrupted twice during the first set due to spectators feeling unwell in the heat. Despite the stoppages, both players maintained their focus in a match marked by intense rallies and shifting momentum.
Anisimova, currently ranked 12th, held her nerve in key moments. Although she was broken for the first time in the second set after leading 30-love, she regrouped in the deciding set. After losing her serve in the opening game, she immediately broke back and went on a run of three consecutive games to take control of the match.
Sabalenka’s defeat ends her streak of reaching the last two Grand Slam finals and marks her third straight Grand Slam loss to an American player this year, following defeats to Coco Gauff at Roland Garros and Madison Keys in Melbourne.
Anisimova, the last American woman remaining in the draw, is set to climb to a career-high world No. 7 following this result. Sabalenka will retain her No. 1 ranking for a 39th consecutive week despite the loss.
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Djokovic dusted himself off and served out the victory
Djokovic beats Cobolli in four sets to reach last four
Serbian, seeking 25th Grand Slam title, next faces Sinner
Djokovic reaches record 14th Wimbledon singles semi-final
Novak Djokovic was given an early scare but continued his bid for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon trophy and standalone 25th Grand Slam title by beating Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6) 6-2 7-5 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals.
The 38-year-old's fightback helped him reach a record 14th singles semi-final at the All England Club, where he will face top seed Jannik Sinner, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Taylor Fritz awaiting in the title clash.
"A lot of numbers, a lot of numbers in the head," Serbian Djokovic said.
"Wimbledon was, is, and always will be the most special tournament that we have in our sport, at least in my opinion and I think in many players' opinion. It means the world to me that I'm still able at 38 to play in the final stages of Wimbledon.
"Another thing that makes me feel very young is competing with youngsters, Cobolli today ... I enjoy sliding and running around the court with him and all the other guys.
"I'm going to have Sinner next so I look forward to that. It's going to be a great match."
Cobolli, the 22nd seed, showed tremendous mental fortitude to recover a break after going 3-5 down in the first set, which he edged in a tiebreak by letting rip blistering winners from his orange-framed racket to draw loud cheers on Centre Court.
"I have to say huge congratulations to Flavio for an amazing tournament, but also a great battle today," Djokovic added.
"Great performance from him ... He played at a really high level. I think what surprised me a lot is his serve."
Former Roma youth soccer player Cobolli, who switched to tennis after watching Djokovic, was given a masterclass in the next set, however, and his idol broke for a 6-5 lead thanks to a slew of errors before tightening his grip on the contest.
With his thinking cap on in fading sunlight, Djokovic earned break points early in the fourth set with vintage tennis but was hitting his shoe with his racket after wasting them, before he fell to the ground with the finish line in sight.
Djokovic dusted himself off and served out the victory to go past Roger Federer's semi-finals record at the All England Club and reach a record-extending 52nd Grand Slam semi-final.
I had a nasty slip. But that's what happens when you play on grass," Djokovic said.
"It did come at an awkward moment, but I managed to find a good serve and close it out."
Reuters
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After years of nightmare outings at the spiritual home of lawn tennis,
Swiatek completes full set of Grand Slam semi-final appearances
Polish eighth seed will meet Bencic in last four
Swiatek extends record over Samsonova to 5-0
The balls kept on listening to Iga Swiatek on Wednesday as the Polish eighth seed walloped Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 7-5 to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.
After years of nightmare outings at the spiritual home of lawn tennis, Swiatek appears to have finally conquered her grasscourt demons as she said the "ball has been really listening" to her at Wimbledon this year.
That was certainly in evidence on Wednesday as from the moment Swiatek launched into a 105mph ace to save break point in the opening game, the ball dutifully obeyed the Pole as winner after winner flew off her racket.
"Honestly, it feels great. I have goosebumps after this win. I am super happy and super proud of myself and I will keep going," a thrilled Swiatek told the crowd after setting up a semi-final showdown with unseeded Swiss Belinda Bencic.
"I really enjoy playing (on grass) this year and hopefully it is going to last as long as possible. I worked really hard to progress here on this surface."
From 2-2 in the first set, the five-times Grand Slam champion suffocated her Russian opponent on a hot and sticky Court One, winning seven games in a row with some ferocious forehands from the baseline that left Samsonova gasping for air.
There was simply no place to hide for Samsonova, who does not like discovering the identity of her opponents until the 11th hour, as Swiatek won all of her first serve points during the opening set.
Swiatek must have thought she would be back in her rented Wimbledon home before too long to tuck into her favourite dish -- pasta tossed with strawberries and yoghurt -- as she led 6-1 3-0.
However, Samsonova clung on for dear life despite surrendering her serve twice in the second set by misfiring double faults on break points.
The 19th seed, who was inspired to pick up a tennis racket after watching compatriot Maria Sharapova playing on TV, managed to break the Swiatek serve not once but twice to level the second set at 4-4.
The fightback failed to throw off Swiatek, however, as the Pole never dropped her incredible intensity and continued to threaten to take the racket out of her opponent's hand with the astonishing power she was generating from the baseline.
So loud was the thundering 'thwack' sound as her racket made contact with the ball that startled spectators were often jolted in their seats. It also unnerved Samsonova, whose Wimbledon hopes crumbled under 38 unforced and 16 forced errors.
Four games later it was all over as Swiatek skipped around the court in celebration after hitting a brutal service return winner to complete her full set of semi-final appearances at the four majors.
"Right now it's tough to understand what happened exactly," said Samsonova, whose bid to reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time ended in heartbreak as she succumbed to a fifth successive defeat to Swiatek.
"It's incredible what I have achieved, but right now I cannot feel it.
"Today Iga was at top level. Everyone knows that she's the one who I would love to beat. In the future, maybe...," she added as her voice trailed off.
Reuters
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Alcaraz had experienced occasional inconsistency in the first week of the tournament
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Britain’s Cameron Norrie in straight sets
Defending champion extends winning streak to 23 matches
Faces American Taylor Fritz next in the semi-finals
Alcaraz powers through quarter-final test
LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) – Carlos Alcaraz had hinted that Cameron Norrie might pose a tricky challenge. And for a brief moment on Tuesday, it looked as though the defending Wimbledon champion could be in for an early scare.
The Spaniard found himself down 0-40 in his opening service game on Centre Court. But any suggestion of an upset quickly faded as Alcaraz surged to a dominant 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 victory — a performance that further cemented his status as the favourite to retain the title.
Commanding from the start
Despite rows of empty seats early on — with spectators still filtering back after Aryna Sabalenka’s lengthy quarter-final — Alcaraz wasted no time asserting his authority.
By the time the crowd returned to support the last British singles player standing, the second seed had already wrapped up the opening set in just 28 minutes, showcasing his signature mix of precision and power.
Norrie, unseeded and unconventional in his style, tried to push back. He even lifted his arms in mock celebration after holding serve late in the third set. But the result never looked in doubt.
Alcaraz, currently enjoying a 23-match winning streak, was a level above throughout.
Building momentum before facing Fritz
The Spaniard, now into his eighth Grand Slam semi-final, will face American Taylor Fritz next. The match will take place after a two-day break, in line with the All England Club’s scheduling.
With momentum on his side, Alcaraz suggested he would prefer to keep playing. When asked how he planned to spend his time off, one fan jokingly shouted a suggestion to return to Ibiza, where he had relaxed after his recent French Open win.
“We’ll try to switch off”
Smiling, Alcaraz responded with a more grounded plan.
“I might try to go to the city centre if I have time. I want to play some golf with my team which will be fun,” he said. “What I’ve been doing so far has worked, so we’ll try to switch off together.”
Tuesday’s match marked the second time Alcaraz has faced a British opponent during this year’s Championships, having earlier beaten qualifier Oliver Tarvet in the second round. Interestingly, Tarvet had pushed the world number two more than Norrie managed to.
Too strong on grass
Norrie’s hopes of becoming just the third British man to defeat a defending Wimbledon champion ended early. After missing four break point opportunities in the second game, a double fault gifted Alcaraz a break, and a hesitant volley later allowed the Spaniard to strike a powerful dipping forehand that clipped the baseline.
While Alcaraz had experienced occasional inconsistency in the first week of the tournament, his latest showing confirmed that he is hitting top form as the business end approaches. The win marks his 34th from 37 matches played on grass.
“To play another semi-final here at Wimbledon is really special,” Alcaraz said. “I want to go as far as I can and I’m really happy with the level I played today against a really difficult player like Cam.”
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The third set saw both players exchange small advantages as the momentum shifted repeatedly
Aryna Sabalenka defeats Laura Siegemund in a three-set thriller
German veteran's slice-and-drop-shot game unsettles the top seed
Sabalenka to face Amanda Anisimova in the semi-finals
Sabalenka digs deep to progress
Aryna Sabalenka was pushed to the edge on Tuesday, enduring a three-hour test of patience and resilience before finally overpowering Laura Siegemund on Wimbledon’s Centre Court to book her place in the semi-finals.
The Belarusian, world number one, eventually broke free from Siegemund’s spellbinding tactics to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 and will now face American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova, who earlier beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, for a spot in Saturday’s final.
German veteran's old-school game unsettles top seed
For long stretches of the match, it appeared Sabalenka would find no solution to Siegemund’s vintage approach. The 37-year-old German, ranked 104th in the world, relied on a mix of slices, drop shots and tactical finesse to disrupt the rhythm of the hard-hitting Belarusian.
Siegemund’s playing style drew comparisons to a bygone era, where subtlety triumphed over raw power. Her slice returns, deft lobs, and feathered volleys kept Sabalenka on the defensive for much of the contest.
“After the first set I was just looking at my box thinking, ‘Guys, book the tickets, we might be leaving this beautiful city,’” Sabalenka admitted. “She played an incredible match, an incredible tournament, and I’m just really happy right now with the win. The atmosphere — it’s just another level.”
Nostalgic display on Centre Court
Despite only one previous second-round finish at Wimbledon, Siegemund produced one of the performances of her career. Her strokes landed with subtle precision — a soft brush of the racket replacing the more common heavy thud. Even her serves, often landing midway up the box and spinning out wide, proved deceptively effective.
Her wealth of doubles experience — three Grand Slam titles across women’s and mixed — was evident in her use of angles, soft hands at the net, and her ability to control rallies with minimal force.
Sabalenka found a breakthrough in the second set as Siegemund’s precision dipped slightly. Though only marginal, it gave the top seed just enough room to level the match.
A hard-fought decider
The third set saw both players exchange small advantages as the momentum shifted repeatedly. Siegemund returned to her crafty best, forcing Sabalenka to continue digging deep.
As the match approached the three-hour mark, Sabalenka finally struck the decisive blow, sealing victory with a thunderous overhead and an emotional roar.
“That was a real task,” she said. “Honestly, I have no idea how I managed to stay emotionally prepared and focused. I’m actually really proud of myself because it was a really tough battle.”