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Wimbledon Ladies Day 7
Iga Swiatek saved two match points against Belinda Bencic and then cleaned up her game to earn a 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-3 win into the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Sunday.
The match was the first in the entire Swiatek career which has gone to more than one tiebreaker; victory puts the four-time Grand Slam champion into the SW19 quarter-finals for the first time.
Swiss Olympic champion Bencic earned her match points in the 12th game of the second set but was out-hit in the crucial moments by the struggling top seed.
“You have nothing to lose, you can play fearlessly,” Swiatek said. “I just wanted to play, I didn’t care…”
Swiatek then lifted her level in the concluding set.
She revved up her game in the deciding set, breaking for 3-1 and taking control to run out the winner with a forehand winner.after nearly three hours.
Bencic ran out of linecall challenges and was unable to query an “out” call on her ball which was shown to have been good.
Swiatek won her third match from four played against Bencic.
“It was not easy obviously,” the winner said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever come back from match points down.
“But I’m happy because I needed this match to believe in myself more on grass.
“I was playing without regrets, I had chances in the first set also. I just wanted to be solid and in the end I got the win.”
Swiatek will bid to go further when she next plays
Elina Svitolina continued her charge through the field as the Ukrainian beat two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka in a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11-9) fightback which ended with an ace after two and three-quarter hours.
Jessica Pegula advanced to the last eight for the first time at the All England Club, plugging a hole in her resume after achieving quarter-finals at the other three majors.
The third seed defeated Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-3, with the 34-year-old Ukrainian saving two match points before Pegula advanced on a correct linecall challenge on a third winning chance.
The victory in 75 minutes marked the eighth quarter-final this season for Pegula, whose billionaire father owns the NFL Buffalo Bills.
Pegula has lost just 13 games in three matches so far during the fortnight.
She is the fifth American woman to reach the quarters at all four Slams in the last quarter-century after the Williams sisters, Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens.
“To say that I’ve done that at all four (majors) is something I’ve wanted
to say,” Pegula said. ” Obviously I hope I can do more than that.
“But it’s pretty cool to say that I’ve done that (quarters) at
every Slam.
“I feel (at) Wimbledon (it) is really special to make the final eight as
well. It was definitely a goal. And I’m really happy I get to mark that off.
Pegula next plays 2019 Roland Garros finalist Markete Vondrousava, winner of an all-Czech showdown over Marie Bouzkova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Qualifier MIrra Andreeva continued her fairytale run as she played and won her sixth career match on grass, knocking out Anastasia Potapova 62, 7-5 in 95 minutes in the third round .
The 16-year-old who lives and trains in Cannes in the south of France, held her never and kept her emotions bottled up in victory.
But as a neophyte who had not set foot on a grass court until qualifying rounds less than a fortnight ago, her success is somewhat unexpected.
“It was a tough match, but I’m happy that I managed to win it,” the teenager said. “Now I’m in the round of 16.
“Today somebody was screaming my name, really supporting me. I just tried to use that for myself.
“I feel everyone is encouraging for me, everyone is cheering for me, it really helps me a lot.”
Andreeva will play for a spot in the quarter-finals when she next faces 2017 US Open finalist Madison Keys.
She said that so far her lack of grass court experience has not been a bother.
“When I played my first match in quallies, I just didn’t have any expectations because it was my first match on grass.
“I just tried to give it all on the court.
“Since that first match, I actually found the right rhythm. Now it’s working pretty good.”
Aryna Sabalenka began her quest for a third straight title at the US Open as she dominated Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4 on Monday to reach the second round as the top seed strives to find her best level at the last major of the season,
Sabalenka has disappointed by her elite standards at the other three majors, finishing Australian Open runner-up but failing in the Roland Garros quarters and the fourth round at Wimbledon last month.
“The good thing for me is not looking back no matter if it’s good or bad,” she said. “I feel a good result can also stop you from performing well because you’re basically focusing on the past.
“If I win the tournament or lose the tournament, for me today is a new day and I have to be focused just staying in the moment.”
The 28-year-old was tested in the second set by her Colombian opponent who has reached the third round of a Grand Slam only once in 22 appearances. .
Sabalenka posted her 14th consecutive match in New York, taking 87 minutes and benefiting from nine Osorio double-faults.
“I think I played great, I’m happy with my performance. She’s a tough opponent, makes you work really hard to get every point.
“So I’m happy that I was able to close the match in straight sets.”
Cincinnati semi-finalist Sara Bejlek, who knocked Sabalenka out of that event, lost her opener here 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 to Spain’s Cristina Busca.
2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova, who turned 25 on Monday, celebrated by hammering US compatriot Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-3.
One time Open semi-finalist Emma Navarro completed a defeat of Lois Boisson 7-6 (6), 6-7 (1), 6-3 after the match was stopped for rain overnight. Boisson only headed to the locker room after destroying a racquet in frustration.
Former Roland Garros junior champion Lilli Tagger needed a late escape against Tamara Korpatsch, with the Austrian who lives a few kilometres into Austria from Jannik Sinner’s family home in the Alps, leading 6-0, 4-0.
But her German opponent forced Tagger to save two set points before Tagger put away victory in a tiebreaker.
Paris Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen won a battle of qualifiers over 16-year-old Kristina Liutova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, leaving her opponent in tears before the crowd consoled her with cheers.
Zheng once stood fourth but is coming back on No. 121 after surgery.
Carlos Alcaraz ended a four-and-a-half month injury exile with a resounding 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Roman Safiullin on Monday at the US Open to mark his return to the courts after a wrist injury.
The defending champion now ranked third is hoping to become the first man to successfully defend the title here Roger Federer won US Open over five consecutive editions (2004-2008).
“For me it’s been a really tough five months. Being able to step on Arthur Ashe and being able to compete again.. as I said before the tournament, I couldn’t decide to come back in a better tournament than here in New York,” Alcaraz said.
“It’s a really special tenement for me. I tried to enjoy as much as I can. I missed it. I missed the crowd. The energy. I missed competition. I missed everything. 🥹 I’m just really really happy I was able to compete again.”
“On this (Ashe) court, I made my dream. First major. First time becoming No. 1 in the world.
“The warm welcome I receive every time I come here is crazy. I really appreciate it. I really feel the love from the people.”
One-time top 10 regular Stefanos Tsitsipas unleashed a major surprise on Cincinnati winner Arthur Fils with a turnaround 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-4 win as the French youngster failed to earn a two-set-to-love lead over the Greek.
“I don’t have the answer,” the 10th-seeded Fils said after his collapse in form. “Once the energy went down at the end of the second, I never felt again a good energy.
“I have to talk with my team, but at my level, to do such a mistake is almost unprofessional.”
He added: “I was trying to fight; at one point I broke back early in the fourth, so I was trying to find a way, but not accurate enough on the serve.
“The ball was not going very well out of my racquet. Even if I was fighting, was tough.”
Fils had beaten No. 53 Tsitsipas in all five of heir previous matches
The Greek, playing unseeded for the first time here, reaching the second round for the sixth time as he came from a set and 5-2 down.
Former ATP No. 3 Tsitsipas pronounced himself “speechless” at his success. “It’s an amazing start to the tournament, I’m very proud of myself.
“I’m taking it a day at a time. I don’t wanna be looking too far away. I prefer to stay grounded in the moment. A win like this today matters a lot to me.”
:French veteran Adrian Mannarino, aged 38, fought back from two sets to love down for only the second time in his career to advance past Thiago Tirante 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
The loss ended the dream of the 42nd-ranked Argentine who beat Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati second round last month as the Serb competed for the first time since Wimbledon at the pre-Open event.
The first-round match began on opening day but was interrupted by night-time rain and concluded on Monday.
Andrey Rublev wore down lucky loser Otto Virtanen as the Finn cramped in the closing stages on the way to a 6-7 (5), 6-7 (0), 6-0, 6-2, 7-6 (5). Virtanen entered the draw as former champion Marin Cilic withdrew.
Main photo:- ‘New look” Carlos Alcaraz celebrates first round win on return from injury – ATPTour.com
Venus Williams made the latest match start in US Open history, with the 46-year-old not even taking to the court until shortly after midnight and losing 6-2, 7-6 (6) to Sofia Kenin,
Williams has lost her last 15 matches as a wild card, with her last victory dating to June, 2025 and her status as a serial wild card recipient under serious discussion.
She has now lost six consecutive matches at the Open, with her last victory coming seven years ago. She is still queued up to pay doubles – another wild card – with sister Serena.
Despite a distinct lack of success, Williams seems not to be considering retirement.
“I don’t think I should have to,” she said in the wee hours of Monday.
“My mind is fully focused on that: how I recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one.”
The Williams start on the Ashe showcourt was seriously delayed by Novak Djokovic’s nearly five-hour loss at the same venue.
The 12:13 a.m., start of the Williams match became the latest ever at the tournament by six minutes.
Williams called the timing and 2:01 a.m. finish “not ideal.”
“I would have preferred something else, definitely. It wasn’t great for either of us, so I think we both tried our best.”
US Open 2026 Women’s Day 2
US Open 2026 Men’s Day 2
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