By Reuters
LONDON: Aryna Sabalenka was dragged into a bygone era on Tuesday and tormented for almost three hours on Wimbledon鈥檚 Centre Court before finally imposing her 21st-century power game to beat mesmeric Laura Siegemund for a place in the semi-finals.
The Belarusian needed all her powers of ball bludgeoning and belief to emerge from a befuddling battle, somehow the victor, 4-6 6-2 6-4.
For much of the spell-binding contest it looked as though the world number one would find no answers to Siegemund鈥檚 sorcery as the 37-year-old German veteran chipped, chopped and drop-shotted the world鈥檚 best player to pieces, leaving the top seed鈥檚 power game neutered on the turf.
Ranked a lowly 104 in the world, Siegemund drew on the game of a gentler age to bring low the mighty Belarusian, casting spells of slice and sleight with vintage flair.
But slowly, if not exactly surely, the 10 years younger and seemingly stronger Sabalenka managed to wrestle back the upper hand, and now plays American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova,