Wimbledon 2017: Jamie Murray and Martina Hingis win to set up prospect of facing Heather Watson in final
Murray and Hingis gave Centre Court something to cheer after Johanna Konta's semi-final exit
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Your support makes all the difference.It was a good day for the big British names in the mixed doubles as first Jamie Murray and Martina Hingis and then reigning champions Heather Watson and Henri Kontinen each progressed into the semi-finals, raising the exciting prospect of them facing each other in the final this weekend, and the possibility of a half-British title after all.
First Murray and Hingis swept into the semi-finals of the mixed doubles on Thursday afternoon with an entertaining straight sets win over all-British pair Ken Skupski and Jocelyn Rae.
Murray and Hingis won 6-4, 6-4 on Centre Court to the delight of a crowd who had just seen Johanna Konta beaten easily by Venus Williams. They were just too brisk and inventive for Skupski and Rae, racing into a 33-minute first set win, even if they needed five set points to seal it.
The second set was just as quick and just as watchable but when Skupski over-hit a return from Murray’s serve it was enough to propel them into the semis. It would be a remarkable triumph for Hingis, 20 years on from her first women’s singles title here which she won as a teenager. Since then she has become a doubles specialist, winning the mixed doubles here two years ago. Murray, brother of two-time champion Andy, won the mixed doubles title 10 years ago alongside Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic.
Murray and Hingis will be joined in the semi-finals by another half-British pair after Watson and Kontinen, who won this title here last year, made it through a tiring three-set match against Rohan Bopanna and Gabriela Dabrowski.
In another fast-paced contest, Bopanna and Dabrowski took the first set on a tie break 7-4 only for Watson and Kontinen to fight back and take the second set 6-4. That inspired the home crowd and lifted Watson and Kontinen to play their best tennis, just as they did on their way to winning the mixed doubles title here last year.
It all came down to the third set and with the match tied at 4-4, Watson’s audacity eventually forced the crucial break, given her and Kontinen the chance to serve for the match. It was Watson who won it when her serve was too powerful for Dabrowski who could only skew her return wide, sending Watson and Kontinen into the semis. They will face Bruno Soares and Elena Vesnina on Friday.
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