Wimbledon 2023: Swiatek, Svitolina in epic comebacks, Djokovic halted by curfew

World No 1 Iga Swiatek saved two match factors whereas Elina Svitolina triumphed in a stormy, politically-charged duel with Victoria Azarenka on Sunday as Novak Djokovic was defeated by a night-time curfew.

Swiatek beat Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 on Centre Courtroom.

Being performed on the similar time on Courtroom 1, Ukraine’s Svitolina got here from a set and break right down to defeat Belarusian rival Azarenka 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11/9).

Earlier than the 11pm night-time curfew, Djokovic took a two units lead over Hubert Hurkacz of their last-16 conflict.

Djokovic, taking part in his a hundredth match at Wimbledon, was 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (8/6) forward towards the Pole.

They may resume on Monday with the winner to face Andrey Rublev for a spot within the semi-finals.

Defending champion Djokovic is chasing a record-equalling eighth title on the All England Membership, a fifth in a row and twenty fourth profession Grand Slam crown.

Swiatek, the reigning US Open and French Open champion, saved two match factors within the twelfth recreation of the second set earlier than occurring to ebook a spot within the quarter-finals for the primary time.

4-time main winner Swiatek, 22, mentioned she felt was capable of play with out worry when going through a shock exit.

“It’s really somewhat bit simpler as a result of however you’re feeling like she’s main anyway so that you play these pictures extra fearlessly as a result of you understand you don’t have anything to lose.”

Svitolina refused to shake the hand of Azarenka in protest on the Belarus authorities’s help of Russia over the struggle in Ukraine.

It has turn out to be a standard function however that didn’t forestall followers from this time booing Azarenka.

“It wasn’t truthful. It’s what it’s. What can I do?” mentioned Azarenka.

“I haven’t carried out something mistaken, however I can’t management the group. I’m undecided that lots of people had been understanding what’s taking place.”

Svitolina believes the booing could possibly be stopped if tennis authorities situation a press release explaining the place of Ukraine gamers.

‘Second happiest second’

“It was like this for me in Paris on the French Open. It was additionally unfair,” mentioned Svitolina.

Regardless of the controversy, Svitolina described victory as certainly one of her best moments.

“I believe after giving beginning to our daughter that is the second-happiest second in my life,” mentioned Svitolina, who’s married to French tennis star Gael Monfils.

In the meantime, Mirra Andreeva’s fairytale season continued because the 16-year-old Russian reached the fourth spherical, defeating Twenty second-seeded compatriot Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5.

“Even when I needed to indicate my feelings I couldn’t as a result of I used to be out of breath on each level,” mentioned Andreeva, who got here by way of qualifying and is making her match debut.

{The teenager} needed to battle arduous within the second set, getting back from 1-4 down earlier than squandering seven break factors within the ninth recreation.

However she held her nerve to interrupt Potapova within the eleventh recreation earlier than securing victory when her opponent buried an overhead into the online.

Andreeva arrived at Wimbledon having made a run to the third spherical on the French Open, additionally out of qualifying, and can shoot up the rankings after Wimbledon, her first grass-court occasion on the primary tour.

Rublev held his nerve to beat Russian-born Kazakh twenty third seed Alexander Bublik 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-7 (5/7), 6-4.

The seventh seed has now accomplished the complete set of quarter-finals on the majors.

He didn’t drop serve towards Bublik, who had defeated him within the Halle grass-court last on the eve of Wimbledon.

Rublev fired 21 aces to Bublik’s 39 however may have wrapped up the tie when he had two match factors within the fourth set.

‘Full energy’

“Each set I had possibilities, on match level he served full energy. I stored considering simply hold taking part in, don’t begin to explode earlier than the match is over. In the long run I used to be capable of make it,” he mentioned.

Fellow Russian and world quantity 92 Roman Safiullin reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final by seeing off Denis Shapovalov 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

Safiullin mentioned his sudden success won’t immediate a swap to a plusher resort.

“Why ought to I alter it? After all it’s not like 5 stars, however I just like the mattress. Every thing for me suits,” he mentioned.

Safiullin will subsequent face Jannik Sinner, the Italian eighth seed, who defeated Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-3.

Sinner needed to work for his win with Galan saving 17 of the 20 break factors he confronted.

Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko was knocked out, dropping 6-1, 6-3 to world quantity 4 Jessica Pegula.

Pegula will subsequent tackle Marketa Vondrousova, the 2019 French Open runner-up, who defeated fellow Czech Marie Bouzkova.

(with inputs from AFP)