Twice Iga Swiatek was a single point from exiting Wimbledon on Sunday, a single point from the sort of confounding defeat at the place that gives her so much more trouble than any of the other grand slam tournaments.
Down a set and 6-5 in the second against Belinda Bencic, the No. 1-ranked Swiatek steeled herself and dispensed with the pair of match points.
She erased the first with a booming forehand, the second with a forceful backhand, and soon enough, Swiatek was not just back in the contest, she was controlling it.
Swiatek managed to reach the Wimbledon quarter finals for the first time, defeating the 14th-seeded Bencic 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-3.
Swiatek, who will face wild-card entry Elina Svitolina of Ukraine for a semi-final berth, extended her unbeaten run to 14 matches,which includes claiming her fourth major title at the French Open last month.
So comfortable on the red clay of Paris, so capable on the hard courts in New York, Swiatek is just not quite the same playeryet on the grass used at the year’s third grand slam tournament.
So how does she feel about the green surface nowadays?
“Every day, my love is getting bigger, so hopefully I’m going to have as many days as possible to stay here and play on this court,” Swiatek said.
“For sure, this is my best year on grass, so I feel really kind of motivated.”
Svitolina, a 2019 semi-finalist at Wimbledon who had a baby last October andreturned to the tour this April, advanced by edging out Victoria Azarenka 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11-9).
“After giving birth to our daughter, this is the second-happiest moment in my life,” Svitolina said.