Elina Svitolina’s storybook run at Wimbledon got here to an agonizing finish on Thursday as she misplaced her semifinal match towards Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in straight units.

Svitolina, a brand new mom from Ukraine who has develop into a logo of defiance because the Russian invasion in February 2022 — particularly so throughout her runs on the French Open and Wimbledon — fell to Vondrousova, 6-3, 6-3, on an error-filled afternoon below the roof on Centre Court.

For 10 days, Svitolina, who wanted a wild card to get into the match, had performed tennis with a mix of freedom and defiance that thrilled the British crowd, particularly throughout her win over Nineteenth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus within the fourth spherical, when she prevailed in a closing set tiebreaker after Azarenka appeared to have the match all however received. Two days later, Svitolina toppled Iga Swiatek of Poland, the world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion, in one other tense and emotional three-set triumph.

She spoke of how the war and being a new mother had modified her and her method to tennis, even making her higher as a result of she had a brand new perspective on the game.

“I don’t take difficult situations as like a disaster,” she stated. “There are worse things in life. I’m just more calmer.”

But then she bumped into Vondrousova, a gifted and difficult left-handed participant who might not have something near the résumé of Swiatek and Azarenka — or Sofia Kenin or Venus Williams, two of Svitolina’s different victims at this match — however she performed as if she did.

Vondrousova, who was a ranked No. 1 on this planet as a junior and reached the French Open final in 2019, is creating a behavior of enjoying the spoiler. At the Tokyo Olympics, she eradicated Naomi Osaka of Japan, the nationwide hero and worldwide star who had lit the Olympic torch on the opening ceremony, and went on to win a silver medal.

Against Svitolina, she displayed each little bit of the talent that she has proven in her greatest matches, displaying off a diversified assault that features rolling forehands, drop pictures and a penchant for going to the online to complete factors at each alternative. Being left-handed additionally helps. It forces opponents to regulate to totally different spins than they usually face and to change the course of their assault in the event that they need to get the ball onto her backhand.

She had loads of assist from Svitolina, who through the first hour of the match seemed as if she had misplaced the ethereal really feel for the ball that had characterised her play all through a lot of the match. Swiatek has spoken about how this model of Svitolina, who spent a lot of her maternity depart elevating cash for battle aid in Ukraine, was so totally different.

“She played with more freedom and more guts,” Swiatek stated. “Sometimes she really just let go of her hand and she played really, really fast.”

That model of Svitolina appeared solely briefly. In the second set, down a set and 4-0, she broke Vondrousova’s serve twice to achieve an opportunity to even the set.

The crowd, which had wished so badly to assist swing the match in her favor, got here alive as Svitolina let loose a scream and a fist pump and skipped towards her chair for the changeover. But as quickly as she seized the momentum, she gave it proper again.