LONDON: New mum Elina Svitolina upset world number one Iga Swiatek to reach the last four at Wimbledon on Tuesday, striking an emotional blow for Ukraine.

World number 76 Svitolina, who gave birth last October and only returned to the tour in April, came through 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 despite being a break down in both of the first two sets against the reigning US Open and French Open champion.

Svitolina, also a semi-finalist in 2019, will take on Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Repu­blic for a place in Saturday’s championship match.

Unseeded Vondrousova made the semi-finals by seeing off fourth-ranked Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Svitolina, playing on a wild card, has reached the last four by seeing off a quartet of Grand Slam title winners in Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka, in a stormy last-16 clash, and now Swiatek.

Svitolina, who also made the last eight at the French Open last month, could have had the match wrapped up in straight sets when she led 4-1 in the second-set tiebreaker before Swiatek hit back.

However, the Ukra­i­nian composed herself, racing away to a double break in the decider.

Svitolina’s win kept alive the prospect of a politically charged final between her and world number two Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus which is a key ally of Russia in the war in Ukraine.

On Court One, Pegula, still searching for a semi-final place at the majors, led 4-1 in the final set against Vondrousova.

But the American was unable to push on as former French Open runner-up Vondrousova stormed back once the roof was closed on the arena.

On the men’s side, eighth seed Jannik Sinner broke new ground at Wimbledon on Tues­day as the Italian powered into the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over big-hitting Russian Roman Safiullin.

The 21-year-old has made the most of a favourable draw at the grasscourt major this year and became the first man to reach the final four without taking on a top 50 opponent since both Boris Becker and Pete Sampras did so in 1995.

The win also meant Sinner became only the third Italian man to make the Wimbledon semis after Nicola Pietrangeli and Matteo Berrettini but he had to overcome a wobble against the inspired Safiullin midway through the contest.

After a high-octane start by both players under the roof on a sometimes slippery Court One, Sinner broke for a 5-4 lead with a barrage of big shots from the baseline and comfortably held serve in the next game to go a set up on Safiullin.

World number 92 Safiullin did not let his optimism dip after surrendering his serve early in the second set and the Wimbledon debutant reeled off five games in a row from 1-3 down to draw level in the match.

The slightly-built Sinner continued to exhibit superb ball-striking en route to winning the next set in 34 minutes and the contest was effectively over after he broke for a 4-2 lead in the fourth set, which he won when Safiullin sent a shot wide.

Late on Monday, Holger Rune became the first Danish man in 65 years to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals and insisted he is “not afraid” to face anybody, even world number one and close friend Carlos Alcaraz.

World number six Rune came back from a set and a break down to defeat Grigor Dimitrov 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.

He will next tackle top seed Alcaraz of Spain in the last eight after the top seed defeated 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini in his fourth-round clash.

Alcaraz also dropped the opening set but hit back in sensational fashion to beat Italian former runner-up Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Berrettini was unseeded after an injury-plagued year but is a potent threat on grasscourts.

He came out firing huge serves and forehands and rocked Alcaraz with a decisive service break to take the opener.

Berrettini could not maintain the intensity though and Alcaraz raised his tempo to seize control early in the second set, running his opponent ragged at times.

He broke serve in the third game of the second set on the way to levelling the match and did the same in the third set with a thumping smash as he picked up speed.

A delay to close the roof midway through the fourth set as the light faded offered Berrettini some respite but Alcaraz quickly completed the win after the resumption.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2023