Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina won an epic, politically charged Wimbledon duel with Belarus rival Victoria Azarenka, describing it as the “second happiest moment” of her life after the birth of her daughter.
Svitolina came through 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11/9) after two hours and 46 minutes of thrilling shotmaking on Court One to set-up a quarter-final clash with world number one Iga Swiatek.
As has become a common feature, Svitolina did not shake hands with Azarenka in protest over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Belarus is a key military ally of Moscow.
Azarenka, who held her hand up in the direction of Svitolina at the end of the match, left the court to the sound of boos from some fans.
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“But what can I say about the crowd? There is nothing to say,” Azarenka said post-match.
“She doesn’t want to shake hands with Russian, Belarusian people. I respected her decision. What should I have done? Stayed and waited?
“Like, I mean, there’s no thing that I could do that would have been right, so I just did what I thought was respectful towards her decision.
“But this conversation about shaking hands is not a life-changing conversation. So if you guys want to keep talking about it, bring it up, make it a big deal, headlines, whatever it is, keep going.
“I thought it was a great tennis match. If people are going to be focusing only on handshakes or crowd, quite drunk crowd, booing in the end, that’s a shame. That’s probably what it is in the end of the day.
“It was a tennis match. We are here, tennis match. Nobody’s changing lives here. We are playing tennis. We’re doing our jobs. That’s it.”
When asked about the crowd’s reaction, Azarenka flipped the script and asked the journalist what they made of it all.
“I thought that was very unfair,” the reporter said.
“I think we agree on that,” replied Azarenka.
“I think after giving birth to our daughter this is the second-happiest moment in my life,” said Svitolina, who is married to French tennis star Gael Monfils.
“When I was down I heard you guys cheering for me and I almost wanted to cry.”
Svitolina, a semi-finalist in 2019, was 4/7 down in the tiebreak and only three points from defeat.
However, she clawed her way back, saw one match point slip away at 9/8 before sealing victory with an ace.
“I was just trying to think about back home, the people watching and cheering for me. I know how much it will mean to them.
“Any moment of happiness they can share means a lot. There are tough times in Ukraine and I am playing here in front of you guys.
“I cannot complain. I just try to win every point. Really, thank you so much.”
Svitolina, 28, only returned to the tour in April after maternity leave. She has now reached the last eight of successive majors after also making the quarter-finals of the French Open.
“When I started playing again I didn’t think that I would be here. I didn’t think on the grass I would play that good,” she added.
“I’m just really enjoying the atmosphere, this chance. I’m really thankful for the chance to play here.”
Svitolina and her fellow Ukraine players all refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian rivals at the recent French Open.
Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk were booed by the Paris crowd for their stance after losing to Belarusian world number two Aryna Sabalenka.
At the 2022 US Open, Kostyuk offered only a touch of racquets after being beaten by Azarenka.
On the court on Sunday, 76th-ranked Svitolina served up a love game to start the match but Azarenka then broke in the third and fifth games to pocket the first set.
The former world number one and two-time Australian Open champion broke again in the first game of the second set.
Svitolina pulled herself level for 2-2 but was then unable to convert four break points in the eighth game.
In a tense, big-hitting conclusion, Azarenka saved a set point but Svitolina pounced on the second to level the contest.
Svitolina raced to a 3-0 lead in the decider, helped by an Azarenka double fault in the second game.
Back came the Belarusian to break back in the fifth game as the match headed to its dramatic tiebreak conclusion.
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SWIATEK SURVIVES BIG SCARE TO REACH QUARTERS
Elsewhere, Iga Swiatek saved two match points to reach her first Wimbledon quarter-final, battling back to beat Belinda Bencic 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.
The Polish world number one had reached the fourth round without losing a set but faced a tough battle against the Swiss 14th seed on Centre Court.
Swiatek was unable to capitalise on any of the six break points on offer in the first set, looking increasingly rattled and gesturing towards her coaching team.
Bencic, the Olympic champion, raced into a 6-1 lead in the tie-break, snuffing out Swiatek’s mini-comeback to take control of the match.
Swiatek, who had looked pleadingly towards her coaching staff, disappeared off court with a notebook in hand, searching for a workable game plan.
She returned to the court with a spring in her step and broke at her first opportunity, only for the tenacious Bencic to return the favour in the sixth game.
Swiatek appeared to be on the brink of a shock exit when she ballooned a backhand long to hand Bencic two match points at 15-40 in the 12th game.
But the top seed saved them both, forcing a tie-break, which she won easily to level the match.
The four-time Grand Slam champion broke in the fourth game of the decider and then held to stretch her lead to 4-1.
She was made to work for her win but eventually served out to take the third set 6-3 and seal the match.
Swiatek, 22, said she felt was able to play without fear when facing a shock exit.
“It’s actually a little bit easier because on the other hand you feel like she’s leading anyway so you play those shots more fearlessly because you know you have nothing to lose.”
Swiatek, who has won three French Open titles on clay, said she was learning to love the grass.
“Every day my love is getting bigger so hopefully I’m going to have as many days as possible to stay here and play on this court,” she said.
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THE 16-YEAR-OLD RISING STAR TAKING WIMBLEDON BY STORM
While Swiatek is obviously already an established name of the sport, the All England Club also witnessed the birth of a new star in 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva’s fairytale season continued as the 16-year-old Russian reached the fourth round, defeating 22nd-seeded compatriot Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5.
“Even if I wanted to show my emotions I couldn’t because I was out of breath on every point,” said Andreeva, who came through qualifying and is making her tournament debut.
The teenager had to battle hard in the second set, coming back from 1-4 down before squandering seven break points in the ninth game.
But she held her nerve to break Potapova in the 11th game before securing victory when her opponent buried an overhead into the net.
Andreeva arrived at Wimbledon having made a run to the third round at the French Open, also out of qualifying, and will shoot up the rankings after Wimbledon, her first grass-court event on the main tour.
MEN’S DRAW TAKES SHAPE AS TIAFOE ‘SHOCKED’ BY BAD LOSS
On the men’s side of the draw, Andrey Rublev held his nerve to beat Russian-born Kazakh 23rd seed Alexander Bublik 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-7 (5/7), 6-4.
The seventh seed has now completed the full set of quarter-finals at the majors. He did not drop serve against Bublik, who had defeated him in the Halle grass-court final on the eve of Wimbledon.
Rublev fired 21 aces to Bublik’s 39 but could have wrapped up the tie when he had two match points in the fourth set.
“Every set I had chances, on match point he served full power. I kept thinking just keep playing, don’t start to explode before the match is over. In the end I was able to make it,” he said.
Fellow Russian and world number 92 Roman Safiullin reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final by seeing off Denis Shapovalov 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.
Canada’s Shapovalov, who made the semi-finals two years ago, was hampered by a knee injury.
Safiullin will next face Jannik Sinner, the Italian eighth seed, who defeated Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-3.
Sinner will be playing in his second successive quarter-final after losing to Djokovic from two sets up in 2022.
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He had to work for his win, with Galan saving 17 of the 20 break points he faced.
Elsewhere a men’s singles third-round match held over from Saturday, Grigor Dimitrov, a semi-finalist back in 2014, defeated US 10th seed Frances Tiafoe in straight sets.
Tiafoe was particularly hard on himself post-match, admitting to being “shocked” by his performance after failing to build any pressure, with Dimitrov not facing a single break point.
“This was a really bad match. Horrible, horrible stuff,” said Tiafoe.
“To play this poorly is very depressing, especially at Wimbledon. I genuinely think I am one of the best grass-court players in the world but I didn’t show it at all. I have to live with that.
“It will hurt for a very long time. I couldn’t hit the room or make him play. It is tough to digest. I’ve never really felt like this after a loss. I’m shocked by how I performed.
“I played horrendously and it is unacceptable to get broken that many times on grass.”
The 32-year-old Dimitrov will face Holger Rune on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.
DJOKOVIC FIRES BACK TO SAVE THREE SET POINTS
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic took a two sets lead over Hubert Hurkacz in their Wimbledon last 16 clash when play was halted ahead of a locally agreed night-time curfew.
Djokovic, playing his 100th match at the tournament, was 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (8/6) ahead against the Pole when the match was suspended in time for the 11pm time limit.
The pair will resume on Tuesday [AEST] with the winner to face Rublev for a place in the semi-finals.
Defending champion Djokovic is chasing a record-equalling eighth title at the All England Club and 24th career Grand Slam crown.