Wimbledon's revolving door of women's champions spins on with surprise last four

LONDON, July 8 : Less than a fortnight ago, practically no one would have picked Marta Kostyuk, Linda Noskova, Karolina Muchova and Coco Gauff as the Final Four at Wimbledon.

After all, the unlikely quartet did not exactly have a grasscourt record to boast about, with only Muchova having even reached the quarter-finals at the All England Club before.

But considering she had waved goodbye in the first round on her last four visits, even that had become a fading memory.

Yet remarkably, when Muchova steps onto Centre Court to face Gauff before Noskova takes on Kostyuk in Thursday's women's semi-finals, one of them will be two wins away from hoisting the most famous prize in tennis, the Venus Rosewater Dish.

WILL BE A FIRST-TIME WOMEN'S CHAMPION AGAIN

Since Serena Williams won the last of her seven titles at Wimbledon in 2016, there has been a long list of one-hit wonders at the grasscourt major.

For the ninth successive edition, there will be a first-time women's champion, leading Noskova to say: "Anybody can beat anybody, it's wide open."

No other major has produced such a revolving door of champions, thus adding to the mystique and aura that surrounds Wimbledon.

World number seven Gauff, the highest seed left, is the only one of those left standing who even knows what it is like to lift a Grand Slam trophy - having done so at the U.S. and French Opens.

But even she is surprised with her run to the Wimbledon semis as she had been left scarred following her poor showings on turf in recent years.

GAUFF HOPES IT IS HER DESTINY

"If you told me I would be in the semis ... I'd be, 'You're funny'. Especially ... the last two years not winning anything on here," said the 22-year-old American who has been a regular visitor to Wimbledon