Ruthless Kostyuk packs off Paolini, sets up last-four clash with Noskova

Centre Court at Wimbledon barely sleeps.

Less than 15 hours after Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime put on a five-hour, 15-minute classic, Marta Kostyuk and Jasmine Paolini were out there for their women’s quarterfinal.

Wednesday’s fixture, much to the disappointment of the fans, didn’t live up to being a worthy follow-up, as Kostyuk thrashed Paolini 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and nine minutes.

But it is a result that will suit the 12th seed just fine, for she will have to return on Thursday for her last-four clash versus the ninth seed from Czechia Linda Noskova, who beat Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5.

Ahead of her second straight Major semifinal, Kostyuk might also be secretly happy that she spent 40 minutes less than Noskova on court. During the unrelenting summer, every little edge matters.

Among advantages, the 24-year-old can also count her quality of tennis. The Ukrainian was ruthless against her Italian opponent winning 90% of her first-serve points, 67% of the seconds, and did not allow a single chance to break.

In the opening set, Kostyuk broke in the fifth and ninth games. In the second set, she moved swiftly towards shutting down the contest by going up 3-1.

Paolini, finalist in 2024, loosened up a tad and swung a couple of shots freely. But at 30-30, Kostyuk served a bullet down the T to which the 13th seed had no answer.

Kostyuk soon led 5-2 to leave Paolini on the brink. And such was her tearing hurry that she didn’t even wait for the opportunity to serve it out.

Two excellent backhand winners in the eighth game showed her resolve, and a third from the same wing breached Paolini’s defence on match-point.

“Hello Centre Court!,” said Kostyuk in her victory speech. “It is my first time here and dream come true. My coach made me walk here and I was flabbergasted by everything inside.

“I sat beside [the honour board] and took a moment to soak it all in. I am soaking it all in again now after the win,” she added.

Just like the women’s section, the two men’s last-eight matches also finished in straight-sets.

Second seed and Roland-Garros champion Alexander Zverev got past Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to enter his maiden Wimbledon semifinal. He will meet British wild card Arthur Fery, who overcame Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0.

Fritz, the sixth seed, later said that he was troubled by tendinitis in his right knee three games into the tie but also credited Zverev for playing superlative tennis. Cobolli, the 2026 French Open finalist, hinted at having underestimated Fery.

In boys’ singles, India’s Arnav Vijay Paparkar brushed aside Japan’s Ryo Tabata 6-2, 6-1 to enter the quarterfinals.

Tabata started with a strapping on his left knee, and called for the physio before serving at 2-3. Arnav, 18, capitalised by breaking Tabata twice to win the first set.

In the second, Tabata’s movement was severely compromised and the reverse in 52 minutes was barely a surprise.

However, Arnav and his Thai partner Kunanan Pantaratorn fell to an agonising 6-3, 5-7, [16-18] second round defeat in doubles to Brazil’s Luis Guto Miguel and Croatia’s Ziga Sesko.