Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic has fallen at the Wimbledon quarterfinal stage for the second year running, losing to Russian-born Kazakh player Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Having come into the match keen to erase the memories of last year's 6-1, 6-3 quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Ash Barty, Tomljanovic appeared on her way after taking the first set against the big-serving 23-year-old.
Tomljanovic broke Rybakina in the third game of the opening set when she anticipated an approach and hit an effective forehand lob to gain the break.
And from there she was dominant, hitting nine winners and committing just three unforced errors as she took the opening set without facing a break point.
Her lead was built on pushing Rybakina back behind the baseline as the unforced errors flowed from the Kazakh's backhand but Tomljanovic also blunted her big serve.
It was the first set Rybakina had dropped all tournament but it did not dent her confidence.
She came out and broke Tomljanovic in the second game of the second set before the Australian immediately levelled things, but at 3-2 to Rybakina the match turned dramatically in favour of the world number 23.
Rybakina broke again for a 4-2 lead and rattled off 11 straight points to level the match as the unforced errors flowed from the Tomljanovic forehand at a rapid rate.
It was not a setback that Tomljanovic could overcome as Rybakina broke her again with ease for a 2-0 lead in the final set, making it a run of 6 straight games and, when she then consolidated by holding to love, it was seven.
Tomljanovic then tried to dig in and got one of the breaks back and fought to save a match point but in the end, it was to little avail as the power game of Rybakina won out and she booked a place in her first-ever grand slam semifinal with 34 winners and 28 unforced errors to just 14 winners from Tomljanovic and 21 unforced errors, with 18 of them across the final two sets.
The result left Tomljanovic proud of making the final eight for the second year running but ultimately disappointed.
"It was a bit disappointing because I felt like I played a really good first set. Actually one of the cleanest sets I've played all tournament," Tomljanovic said.
"I felt like the middle of that second she definitely raised her level. She served crazy good.
The win made Rybakina the first Kazakh to reach the semis of a grand slam, an achievement she was proud of.
"It's amazing and I am really happy," Rybakina said.
"It was a really tough match.
"I started a bit slow, I didn't serve that well, maybe I was a bit nervous and Ajla was defending really good.
"I just tried to focus on my serve to find my way, and I found it."
Halep hunting another Wimbledon title
Rybakina will face 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep in that encounter after the Romanian defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4.
Halep's match against Anisimova appeared to be as straightforward as her first four victories at this year's tournament, but the 20th-seeded American broke Halep when she was serving for the match at 5-2.
Anisimova then had three more break points when Halep again served for the match at 5-4, but the Romanian won five straight points to finish the match.
"She could crush the ball in the end, and I didn’t know, actually, what to do," Halep said.
"But I just believed in myself. I said that I have to stay there, strong on my legs."
The pair join German veteran Tatjana Maria and Tunisian third seed Ons Jabeur in the women's semifinals.
