LONDON, July 10 – Iga Swiatek saved two match points while Elina Svitolina won a turbulent, politically charged showdown with Victoria Azarenka to set up a Wimbledon quarter-final on Monday. past when Novak Djokovic was beaten by a nighttime curfew.
The Swedish world number one defeated Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (2/7), 6-3 on Center Court.
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On Court One, Ukraine’s Svitolina started a set and defeated Belarusian opponent Azarenka with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (9/11).
Djokovic led Hubert Hurkacz by two sets in their most recent 16th clash when the match was halted before a locally agreed 11pm curfew.
Djokovic, playing his 100th game at the tournament, was 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (8/6) ahead of Pole.
The matchup continues today with the winner going up against Andrey Rublev for a place in the semi-finals.
Defending champion Djokovic is chasing an eighth title equaling a record at the All England Club and a 24th career Grand Slam title.
Swiatek, the defending US Open and French Open champion, saved two match points in game 12 of the second set before claiming a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time.
Four-time major winner Swiatek, 22, said she felt able to play fearlessly in the face of a shock exit.
«It’s actually a bit easier because on the other hand, you feel like she’s in the lead, so you play those shots more fearlessly because you know you have nothing to lose.»
Svitolina refused to shake Azarenka’s hand in protest at the Belarusian government’s support of Russia in the war in Ukraine.
It has become a common feature but that hasn’t stopped fans this time booing Azarenka.
«It’s not fair. It’s like that. What can I do?» Azarenka said.
«I didn’t do anything wrong, but I can’t control the crowd. I’m not sure many people understand what’s going on.»
Svitolina believes the booing could end if the tennis governing body releases a statement explaining the Ukrainian players’ views.
‘Second happy moment’
“For me in Paris at the French Open is like that,” said Svitolina. It’s also not fair.
Despite the controversy, Svitolina described the victory as one of her greatest moments.
“I think after giving birth to my daughter, this is the second happiest moment of my life,” said Svitolina, who is married to French tennis star Gael Monfils.
Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva’s magical season continued as the 16-year-old Russian reached the fourth round, beating fellow 22nd seed Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5.
“Even if I wanted to show my emotions, I couldn’t because I was out of breath at every point,” said Andreeva, who qualified and made her tournament debut.
The teenager had to fight hard in the second set, taking a 1-4 lead before squandering seven break points in the ninth game.
But she managed to break Potapova in game 11 before winning when her opponent put the ball in the net.
Andreeva arrives at Wimbledon after reaching the third round at the French Open, also failing to qualify, and will rise in rank after Wimbledon, her first grass-court event on the main tour.
Rublev kept his nerve to beat 23rd seed Kazakh of Russian origin Alexander Bublik 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-7 (5/7), 6- 4.
The seventh seed has now completed all quarterfinals at the majors.
He didn’t give up serving against Bublik, who beat him in the Halle final on the eve of Wimbledon.
Rublev hit 21 aces to Bublik’s 39 but he could have ended the match when he had two points head-to-head in the fourth set.
‘Full power’
«Every set I had a chance, at the match point he served his best. I kept thinking, just keep playing, don’t explode before the game is over. In the end, I made it,» he said.
Russian tennis player and world number 92 Roman Safiullin reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final, defeating Denis Shapovalov 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.
Safiullin said his sudden success won’t make him move to a more upscale hotel.
«Why do I have to change it? Of course it doesn’t look like five stars, but I like the bed. Everything fits me well,» he said.
Safiullin will next face Italian eighth-seeded Jannik Sinner, who beat Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galan 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-3.
Sinner struggled to win as Galan saved 17 of the 20 break points he faced.
Ukraine tennis player Lesia Tsurenko was knocked out 6-1, 6-3 before world number 4 Jessica Pegula.
Next, Pegula will face off against Marketa Vondrousova, the 2019 French Open runner-up, who defeated fellow Czech Marie Bouzkova. – AFP
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