Swiatek saves two match points to defeat Bencic in Wimbledon cliffhanger

Iga Swiatek walked the tightrope for three hours in a tense, drama-filled Sunday encounter with upset-minded Belinda Bencic, and when all was said and done it was the Pole who emerged victorious, saving two match points to win 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-3.

“It wasn’t easy, obviously,” Swiatek told the crowd. “I’m really happy because I feel that I needed that win to believe in myself a little bit more on this surface.”

The victory marks the first time that Swiatek has saved match points en route to a Grand Slam match victory, and it puts her in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time in her career.

Down a set and facing a pair of match points while serving at 5-6, 15-40, Swiatek delivered two perfect points and closed out the hold to force a tiebreak.

“It’s actually a little bit easier because you feel like she’s leading anyway so you play those shots more fearlessly,” she said. “You kind of have nothing to lose – you are already in a pretty bad position.”

From 2-1 down in the tiebreak, she won the final six points to level up.

In the third set Swiatek broke critically for 3-1 and never looked back, despite the fact that Bencic kept it close and continued to apply pressure.

In the final game the Swiss could have had two break points but she ran out of challenges and was unable to challenge an out call on one of her groundstrokes. Unofficial replays showed the shot was in.

Swiatek calmly claimed the final four points of the match to close out her biggest career Wimbledon win to date in three hours and two minutes.

The world No 1 will face Elina Svitolina, who took down Victoria Azarenka in a dramatic third-set tiebreak on Court No.1, next.

Epic. Elina ✨@ElinaSvitolina outlasts Victoria Azarenka in a rollercoaster three-set thriller to progress to the quarter-finals 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(9) 👏#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/vikVFGuTFj

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2023

Ahead of her victory, the 22-year-old Pole defeated Chinese Lin Zhu (6-1, 6-3), Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo (6-2, 6-0) and Croat Petra Martic, the No 30 seed (6-2, 7-5).

Bencic, ranked No 14, beat wildcard Katie Swan (7-5, 6-2), American Danielle Collins (3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2)) and Pole Magda Linette, the No 23 seed (6-3, 6-1) earlier in the tournament.

London (Grand Slam), other last 16 results (All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, grass, GBP 16.077.000, most recent results first):

• Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Ons Jabeur vs. Petra Kvitova
• Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Elena Rybakina
• Madison Keys vs. Mirra Andreeva
• Victoria Azarenka vs. Elina Svitolina: sunday
• Jessica Pegula (4) beat Lesia Tsurenko: 6-1, 6-3
• Marketa Vondrousova beat Marie Bouzkova (32): 2-6, 6-4, 6-3