Elina Svitolina, the 28-year-old Ukrainian who returned from maternity leave just three months ago after becoming a mother last October, caused one of Wimbledon’s biggest upsets when she knocked out top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the quarter finals on Tuesday.
Swiatek, a four-time Grand Slam champion, won the French Open last month but was playing in the Wimbledon quarter finals for the first time. She was the favourite to go through but her game was strewn with errors that allowed her opponent to win crucial points.
Svitolina looked stunned when she sealed the 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 victory in front of a delighted Centre Court crowd.
Svitolina will take on another unseeded player, Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, who caused the day’s first upset by trumping American fourth seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
It will be Svitolina’s second appearance in the Wimbledon semi-finals. She lost to eventual champion Simona Halep at that stage in 2019.
Svitolina, married to ATP tennis player Gael Monfils, gave birth to her daughter, Skai Monfils, in October and returned to the WTA tour in April. She received a wild-card entry to Wimbledon one month after reaching the quarter finals at the French Open.
“First of all I’m going to have a beer, probably,” Svitolina said on court.
“At the beginning of the tournament if someone would tell me that I will be in the semi-final and beating world No. 1, I would just say that they’re crazy.”
At one point, Svitolina, currently ranked 76th, won 20 of 22 points against Swiatek on Centre Court, including 16 of the final 18 points in the first set.
To reach the semi-finals this year, she has beaten four Grand Slam champions — Venus Williams in the first round, Sofia Kenin in the third, Victoria Azarenka in the fourth and Swiatek in the quarter-finals.
Written with inputs from AP/PTI
