Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina stunned world number one Iga Swiatek to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals on Tuesday, just three months after returning from maternity leave. The world number 76 came through 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 despite being a break down in both of the first two sets against the reigning US Open and French Open champion. Svitolina, also a semi-finalist in 2019, will take on Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic for a place in Saturday’s championship match. Svitolina has reached the Final Four by seeing off a quartet of Grand Slam title winners in Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka, in a stormy last-16 clash, and now Swiatek. She said she intended to “enjoy the moment and have a beer”.
Svitolina, playing on a wild card, hailed Swiatek for her unwavering support of Ukraine following the Russian invasion of the country. The Polish star organised a benefit exhibition match last year to raise funds for humanitarian causes in Ukraine. A heavily pregnant Svitolina acted as chair umpire. “Iga is a great champion and an unbelievable person,” said Svitolina. “She was one of the first to help Ukraine people. It’s not easy to play against someone with whom you share great memories.”
On her side, unseeded Marketa Vondrousova came back from the brink to beat fourth seed Jessica Pegula and reach her first Wimbledon semi-final. The Czech player, ranked 42nd in the world, clawed her way back from 4-1 down in the deciding set to win 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. “I don’t know what happened,” said the 24-year-old. “I was 1-4 down. It’s an amazing feeling. Thank you guys for the support, it was amazing. My best result here was the second round,” she added. “I just got better. I’m just loving grass now.” Vondrousova had reached the French Open final in 2019.
Sinner reaches his first Grand Slam semi-final
In the men’s quarter-finals, late on Tuesday night, Novak Djokovic reached his 12th Wimbledon semi-final and record-equalling 46th at the Grand Slams with a four-set victory over Andrey Rublev. Djokovic, chasing an eighth title at the All England Club and 24th career major, came through 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and will face Italy’s Jannik Sinner for a place in the final. Sinner had previously beat unseeded Russian Roman Safiullin to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final. The Italian eighth seed recovered from a mid-match wobble to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Djokovic has now reached as many semi-finals at the Slams as the retired Roger Federer. The 36-year-old was playing in his 400th Grand Slam match and insisted he was enjoying being the man to beat. “I love it. Any player wants to be in the position where all the other players want to beat you,” he said after preserving his record of not being defeated on Center Court since 2013. “The pressure never goes away every time I come on court. They want to get a scalp and the win –but it ain’t happening!” Rublev, the world number seven, has now lost all eight quarter-finals he has played at the majors.
