Wimbledon 2024 LIVE: Tennis scores and updates from women’s semi-final day

Alcaraz faces fifth seed Daniil Medvedev as the 21-year-old Spaniard continues his title defence. The reigning champion defeated Medvedev in straight-sets at this stage last year in a one-sided semi-final, but the Russian was in impressive form in stunning World No 1 Jannik Sinner in the previous round.

Elsewhere, Britain’s Alfie Hewitt will aim to reach the men’s wheelchair singles final against third seed Gustavo Fernandez, with Hewitt then in action alongside Gordon Reid in the men’s wheelchair doubles semi-final against Dutch pair Tom Egberin and Maikel Scheffers.

The winners of the two men’s singles semi-finals will contend for the title in Sunday’s final, starting at 2pm.

Henry Patten won the battle of Britain against Neal Skupski in the men’s doubles to reach his first grand slam final at Wimbledon.

Patten had never previously gone beyond the third round at a major tournament but he and Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara have been on a giant-killing run at the All England Club.

That continued on Court One on Thursday as they defeated Skupski, who won the title last year with former partner Wesley Koolhof, and New Zealander Michael Venus 6-4 7-6 (1).

Patten, 28, said: “It feels pretty good. I am not sure it has quite set in. Even when Harri struck that return down the line, moments afterwards I don’t think it had hit us. Neither of us realised what had happened. It’s amazing.”

The Spaniard defeated Medvedev in straight sets in last year’s semi-finals before going on to beat Novak Djokovic in an epic men’s final.

It was a one-sided contest as Alcaraz ruthlessly exploited Medvedev’s deep return position, but the fifth seed was impressive in beating Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals.

“He was a little bit on fire. You could see it by the score,” Medvedev said about his opponent. “That’s where it’s tough to play against him because you know whatever shot you hit, he can hit a winner.”

The Italian has played Djokovic six times, winning just once and was beaten from two sets to one in the French Open third round last month.

Djokovic is playing in a record-extending 49th grand slam final and the winner will take on either Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final.

“I mean, I thought I was going to die in the third set. I had so much pain in my arm, in my leg. It was not easy out there, but I will recover.

“My team tells me that I can be proud of myself. It’s tough right now. It’s really tough. For sure I will need to take couple of days to see everything.

“Yeah, I don’t know, it’s tough to be positive right now. It was so close. I had a lot of chances.”

“I’m feeling amazing. Today has been a really, really tough match. So emotional match. Yeah, I’m just feeling so great, yeah.

“I never played against Barbora, but she’s a Grand Slam champion. She play tennis unbelievable. I practice with her sometimes.

“It’s going to be a Wimbledon final, so it’s a different kind of match, I think. As I said, it’s always the same things the goal: to try to serve well today I didn’t, I have to say to try to return as many balls as possible, and to control the point.

“On the grass is tough to defend. So the goal Saturday will be that one for sure in terms of game, of the tactic.”

As a 57^th and final unforced error sprung off Donna Vekic’s forehand and into the tramline, Jasmine Paolini ran towards her player box in complete and utter euphoria. This year’s breakthrough star on the tennis tour – that goes for men and women – had reached a second Grand Slam final in a matter of weeks. At the end of this titanic battle, she blew a kiss to her corner and then consoled her heartbroken opponent.

As the old adage goes, it felt cruel that somebody had to lose. Both Vekic and Paolini were contesting their first semi-final at Wimbledon and their desperation to reach Saturday’s showpiece was writ large throughout this absorbing battle of wills. In the end, only a first-to-10 final-set tie-break could separate them – and even than there was barely a flip of a coin between them. Match of the tournament? Possibly so.

While Paolini needed two hours and 51 minutes to fight back, reduce Vekic to tears, and position herself on the cusp of glory, Rybakina seemed likely to need about 60 minutes to extinguish Barbora Krejcikova’s dream.

But those were assumptions, and as this match wore on, it became clear that assuming was a dangerous game.

Report from Centre Court:

Krejcikova on what to expect from her final against Jasmine Paolini on Saturday: “I think a big fight, definitely. A big fight.

“I know she is a huge fighter, she showed it today, and same from me.

“I think we both are playing great tennis, and I think it’s going to be a great match on Saturday.”

Krejcikova gets emotional talking about her late coach Jana Novotna, who won the singles crown here in 1998.