Iga Swiatek survives Bencic Scare to secure a spot in Wimbledon quarterfinals
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London: World No.1 tennis player Iga Swiatek displayed resilience and skill as she saved two match points to defeat No.14 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland at Wimbledon.
The 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-3 victory sent Swiatek into her first Wimbledon quarterfinals.
With this win, Swiatek extended her winning streak to 14 matches and secured her ninth consecutive quarterfinal appearance. At 22 years old, the Polish player became the youngest athlete since Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the quarterfinal stage at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
In the quarterfinals, Swiatek will face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, as she continues her quest for a place in the semifinals.
The match against Bencic began with the Swiss player dominating the opening set tiebreak, quickly taking a 6-1 lead before clinching the set on her fourth set point. Swiatek fought back strongly in the second set. She broke Bencic's serve in the opening game with a powerful forehand return winner. Although Bencic managed to break back and level the score at 3-all, Swiatek remained focused. As Bencic held serve to reach 6-5, Swiatek found herself serving to stay in the match.
Facing two match points at 15-40, Swiatek showcased her champion's mentality. With winners from both her forehand and backhand, she saved both points and held her serve, pushing the match into a second-set tiebreak after an intense two-hour battle.
Having fought back to level the match, Swiatek carried her momentum into the tiebreak, ultimately clinching the set. The match then extended to a decisive third set.
The third set saw early breakpoint opportunities for both players. Bencic had the first chance at 1-1, but she was unable to convert. Swiatek capitalised on her opportunity in the following game, breaking Bencic's serve to take a 3-1 lead. With her 10th double fault of the match, Bencic handed Swiatek the advantage.
Swiatek held her ground, maintaining her lead and ultimately securing victory with a total of 33 winners after a gruelling 3 hours and 3 minutes on court.