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So, Elina Svitolina will play the top seed Iga Swiatek in the last eight. That’s it for today’s blog. Novak Djokovic is about to start on Centre Court against Hubert Hurkacz, and we’ll have a report of that game on the site later. Thanks for your company, please join us tomorrow – goodnight.
Elina Svitolina beats Victoria Azarenka [19] 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (11-9)What a moment. Svitolina hammered down an ace and then fell on her back in joy. There’s no handshake – Svitolina, who is from Ukraine, won’t shake hands with any players from Russia or Belarus – and then Azarenka is booed as she walks off the court. That was a bit weird.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty ImagesShe’s done it with an ace! The end of a glorious game.
Final set: Azarenka 6-6 (9-10) Svitolina It’s match point Svitolina – but this time it’s on her own serve! Another long rally was settled by a delightful drop shot. Azarenka got to it but could only knock it long.
Final set: Azarenka 6-6 (9-9) Svitolina A forehand from Azarenka is this close to going out, but it’s good and eventually she wins the point with a smash. My word.
Final set: Azarenka 6-6 (8-9) Svitolina It’s match point Svitolina on the Azarenka serve! Azarenka controlled that rally but then underhit a drop shot into the net.
Final set: Azarenka 6-6 (8-8) Svitolina And on we go: Azarenka breaks back straight away, and now Svitolina is the one under pressure on her own serve. This is so tense.
Azarenka 6-6 (7-8) Svitolina She’s done it again! Azarenka slams a forehand and charges to the net, only for Svitolina to beat her with a majestic cross-court backhand. Now she has the advantage, and is two points away from the quarter-final.
Azarenka 6-6 (7-7) Svitolina Hello! Svitolina breaks back with a savage forehand that Azarenka can’t handle.
Azarenka 6-6 (7-6) Svitolina It’s going the distance. Svitolina stays in touch by winning both points on her serve.
Here’s a short report from PA on Iga Swiatek’s comeback
World No1 Iga Swiatek saved two match points and came through a marathon match with Belinda Bencic to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time.
Swiatek looked down and out when 15-40 down at 6-5 in the second set, but she produced her best tennis with two sumptuous winners to turn the tie around.
The four-time grand slam champion continued to be pushed all the way by Olympic gold-medallist Bencic in a tense third set before she eventually prevailed 6-7 (4) 7-6 (2) 6-3 after a three-hour epic on Centre Court.
Azarenka 6-6 (7-4) Svitolina After a long rally Svitolina puts a backhand slice into the net, and Azarenka remains a mini-break ahead.
Azarenka 6-6 (5-4) Svitolina Another unforced error from Svitolina puts Azarenka back in charge.
Azarenka 6-6 (4-3) Svitolina Azarenka no longer has a mini-break after a tame drop shot goes into the net.
Azarenka 6-6 (4-2) Svitolina Azarenka has a mini-break.
Iga Swiatek [1] beats Belinda Bencic [14] 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-3!The top seed has survived an almighty scare to reach the quarter-finals! Bencic had two match points in the 12th game of the second set – but Swiatek dug in, won the breaker and then got a crucial break in the final set.
Iga Swiatek of Poland (R) shakes hands with Belinda Bencic of Switzerland after winning their match. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/EPAAzarenka 6-6 Svitolina: final set tiebreak Azarenka misses a routine forehand to give Svitolina a chance at 30-30, but then Svitolina mishits an overzealous forehand of her own. Another unforced error takes us to a tiebreak!
Swiatek 5-3 Bencic This is it, right here. Bencic holds without much trouble, and now Swiatek will serve for the match.
Svitolina 6-5 Azarenka There’s a hint of an opening for Azarenka at 30-15, but she misses a cross-court passing shot and Svitolina doesn’t give her another opportunity.
Azarenka 5-5 Svitolina; Swiatek 5-2 Bencic If anyone has a spare pair of eyes, could I borrow them for half an hour? Azarenka holds to 15 and Swiatek to 30; she’s one away from the quarter-finals.
Svitolina (5-4) and Bencic (2-4) race through their respective service games. That means Victoria Azarenka is serving to stay in the tournament.
Azarenka holds to 15, so it’s 4-4 on Court One.
Victoria Azarenka in action against Elina Svitolina. Photograph: Steven Paston/PASwiatek survives a peedie scare on her own serve to take a 4-1 lead in the final set. Bencic is starting to look like somebody who has been bitten by reality.
On Court One, it’s still with serve in the final set: 4-3 to Svitolina.
Swiatek breaks Bencic! Thanks Daniel, hello everyone. Just as I was sliding into the comfy GBG chair, Bencic double-faulted on break point. Swiatek leads 3-1 in the final set.
Righto, my watch is over. Here’s Rob Smyth to croon you through the next bit.
A gorgeous inside-out backhand takes Bencic from advantage down to deuce as Swiatek serves at 1-1 and then she puts another onto the line that’s called out; a challenge reveals it was in and when a serve goes into the net, she’s break point on a second delivery. Swiatek, though, relies again on her trusty body-serve to avert immediate danger and from there closes out, taking a 2-1 decider lead. Meantime, trailing 1-3, Azarenka earns a second break point on advantage, unfurls a mahoosive forehand, then a backhand, and when Svitolina’s riposte bounces on top of the net, thrice – ! – she’s right there to tickle it onto her opponent’s side for the break-back! Svitolina leads 3-2 in the third, and I’ve not a clue who’s going to win either match. It’s a beautiful thing!
On Centre, we’re at 1-1 in the decider, but on No1, it’s one-way traffic, Svitolina spanking a backhand for a comfortable hold and 3-0. Azarenka is playing OK, but without the same devil as her opponent, and needs to find another level or hope that nerves do it for her.
At 1-0 in the decider, Svitolina earns a break point and Azarenka doubles! The Ukrainian leads the Belarusian, and is four holds away from a last-eight berth.
I wondered where I’d seen Bencic’s top before.
Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Photograph: Karel Prinsloo/EPASvitolina has such competitive charisma, and how well she’s playing nine months after giving birth is remarkable.
Phew, what a passage of play that was. I’m exhausted, and I’m not even playing.
Yup, Swiatek takes the breaker to two, and here comes another richly-deserved final set!
So easily does Swiatek win sets that this is the first time she’s ever played two breakers in the same match; that feels insane. And she’s doing nicely in this one, 4-2 to the good, while Svitolina saves game point with a glorious inside-out forehand winner then earns advantage, saluting the crowd. A booming forehand down the line soon follows, and we’ve got ourselves a decider! From a set and a break down, at 2-6 6-4, Svito has forced a decider, and this is another outstanding match.
Again, Swiatek overhits, a forehand swiped marginally but definitely wide handing Bencic the mini-break at 2-1. Five holds, and she’s home! But she can’t even manage one, a decent return inciting her to net for 2-2, and we’re back on serve.
Ach, Svitolina mishits, so deuce it is.
Again, Bencic steps inside the baseline to attack a second serve, but again, Swiatek finds a winner, backhand cross-court to break the sideline! She played those pressure points so, so well. Advantage follows then game – here comes another breaker – while Svitolina now has set point at 5-4 30-40.
Superb from Swiatek, who punishes a booming forehand down the line for 30-40; Svitolina, meanwhile, holds for 5-4 in the second.
Now then. Swiatek mistimes a forehand, shanking it high and long for 0-1, but then, sending down a seconds serve with her opponent well inside the baseline, she finds a brilliant angle on a one-knee backhand to spirit a winner cross-court that breaks the sideline. Bencic, though, knows that this could be her moment, crashing a backhand down the line then cleaning up with a forehand into the open space. AND ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Bencic somehow returns a kicking body-serve, Swiatek again pounds long, and she’s two match points down!
Svitolina eventually wipes across a forehand sending the ball wide, and that’s 4-4 in set two; if i’m Azarenka, which I’m not, I’m attacking her serve next up while she’s still on a downer. meantime, Bencic holds to 15, guaranteeing herself a second-set breaker, minimum. Swiatek must now hold to stay in the championships.
Good work from Swiatek, who holds to 15 for 5-5, while, on No1, both players are putting everything into every ball, a game of grunt-pong backing a terrific game of tennis. We’re going back and forth from deuce to advantage, Svitolina burning a succession of break points while trailing 2-6 4-3.
Oh man, at 30-all Azarenka softens hands to slice a drop … which just about clambers over the net. But she then goes long on the backhand, taking us to deuce, while Bencic closes out a crucial hold from 30-all and, at 7-6 5-4, is a game away from a shock win. Can Swiatek hang in there?
Svitolina holds for 4-3 in set two – she’s into this match now – then gets to 0-30. Can she make something of the half-chance? Meantime on Centre, we’re at 4-4 in set two and I’m certain Bencic would take another breaker.
Bencic will know this might be the opportunity of a lifetime – at 26, she’s still young, but chances are the players younger still and already better than her improve faster and more than she can. She holds for 4-3, and Swiatek will know that she’s not got much margin for error here.
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic serves the ball to Poland’s Iga Swiatek. Photograph: Sébastien Bozon/AFP/Getty ImagesNow then! Bencic earns a break-back point, finds a decent backhand return that launches her into the rally, and Swiatek overhits another shot, this time a backhand cross, and we’re back on serve in set two. Is something brewing here?
I enjoyed all of these, but Kaluuya and his mum is especially lovely.
I said Svitolina has moxie for months but I also thought she was done here; not so. She breaks back then holds, so now trails 2-6 3-2; Swiatek trails Bencic 6-7 3-2.
It’s just not happening for Svitolina, who makes deuce before netting a forehand that gives Azarenka 6-2 2-0. Meantime, Swiatek trails Bencic 6-7 2-1 with a break. That match is building, though ultimately I imagine the top seed’ll win; it’s hard to see anyone bar Rybakina and Sabalenka beating her.
I think that, of all the sports, tennis has the most work to do in terms of improving its analysis. We get comparatively little technical breakdown, when there’s so much that could be said to improve our understand and appreciation of the game.
I listened to some of this while I had my tea and really enjoyed it.
Er, yeah. Azarenka breaks Svitolina to lead 6-2 1-0, and will feel she’s broken the back of this match. She’s hitting it really cleanly at the moment.
More break points for Swiatek at 15-40, and though Bencic saves the first, a slow serve allows her to make room, moving away from the ball to cream a forehand winner down the line. That’s the end of Bencic’s run – 24 holds in a row – and has momentum switched?