The heroism of Carla Suarez Navarro over recent months has inspired many and Spain’s rising star Ane Mintegi Del Olmo is certainly one of those as her quest for a maiden Junior Grand Slam title moved a step closer.

Mintegi Del Olmo, who trains at TEC-Carles Ferrer Salat in Barcelona, defeated No. 6 seed Kristina Dmitruk of Belarus 7-6(6) 6-3 to become the first Spanish girl to reach the semi-finals of the Junior Championships at Wimbledon since Magui Serna in 1996.

A Spanish girl has never previously triumphed at Wimbledon, while there have only been two Junior Grand Slam winners from Spain here in history – Hall of Famer Manuel Orantes in 1967 and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina more recently in 2017.

Former world No. 6 Suarez Navarro, a seven-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma shortly before last year’s US Open. Following eight sessions of chemotherapy over several months, in April she announced she was cured.

Suarez Navarro’s journey since her diagnosis has left an impression on a considerable number of people, including the aspiring Mintegi Del Olmo, who will face Czech Republic’s Linda Fruhvirtova in the semi-finals tomorrow.

“All the Spaniards are my inspiration but especially Carla Suarez,” said Mintegi Del Olmo, who is ranked No. 27 in the junior world rankings. “That she has overcome a really tough period and is now back on court is truly inspirational.

“I am so happy to be in the semi-finals and it’s amazing that I am the first Spanish girl to reach this stage for so long. I’m playing a really good tournament, grass is not my best surface but I have adapted my game.

“I’m competing at a good level and playing with aggression. Slowly, slowly I’m winning matches.”

It will be a first Junior Grand Slam semi-final for both Mintegi Del Olmo and Fruhvirtova, who reached the last four after dispatching No. 15 seed Mara Guth of Germany 6-3 6-2.

There is German representation in the semi-finals, however, after Nastasja Mariana Schunk overcame Italy’s Matilde Paoletti 6-3 4-6 6-2 in their last-eight showdown. Schunk is ranked No. 71 in the girls’ rankings and is making her Junior Grand Slam debut here.

Schunk’s opponent will be world No. 1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, who survived a quarter-final scare against wild card Alicia Dudeney of Great Britain. Dudeney threatened an upset by claiming the first set before Jimenez Kasintseva retaliated to win 3-6 6-2 6-1.

It was the turn of the boys, meanwhile, to face back-to-back matches on the same day to account for Tuesday’s rain delays and the big winner was French qualifier Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg.

The 17-year-old overcame Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, a member of the GSDF/ITF Touring Team, 7-5 7-5 before turning on the style to outperform and ultimately dispatch fourth seed Bruno Kuzuhara of the United States, prevailing 6-7(5) 6-4 6-2.

Gueymard Wayenburg, who made his Junior Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros last month, will now go head-to-head with another American, this time Samir Banerjee, for a place in the Junior Championships final.

“It is a dream,” Gueymard Wayenburg told itftennis.com. “But my tournament is not finished and I will stay focussed. I don’t want to be so happy now as tomorrow I have a semi-final and I want to play well. However, I am very happy to be a semi-finalist.

“Honestly though, I didn’t expect to be a semi-finalist. I qualified so getting to this stage of the tournament is hard. I have played a lot of matches to get here but I know that my level is here, so I am not too surprised.”

Banerjee, who also made his Junior Grand Slam debut in Paris last month, took his place in the last four after ruthlessly dispatching No. 5 seed Pedro Boscardin Dias of Brazil, 6-2 6-1, in round three and then brushing aside Croatian qualifier Mili Poljicak 6-1 6-1 in quickfire fashion. 

The other semi-final will see top seed Juncheng Shang of China take on Victor Lilov, also of the United States. Shang prevailed from a heavyweight quarter-final tussle with No. 11 seed Jerome Kym of Switzerland, winning 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4, to advance to his maiden Junior Grand Slam semi-final. The 16-year-old, who will be the only seeded player in the boys’ semis, had earlier accounted for Matthew William Donald of Czech Republic.

Lilov, meanwhile, progressed to the last four at the expense of Jack Pinnington Jones, which in turn ended hopes of a first Great British boys' champion at Wimbledon since 1962. Lilov, who is ranked No. 31 in the global boys' standings, recovered from a set down to win 3-6 6-4 6-3.