World No.1 Iga Swiatek saved two match points to defeat No.14 and Olympic champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-3 to advance to her first Wimbledon quarterfinals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The victory marked Swiatek's 14th consecutive win and booked her a place in her ninth straight quarterfinal. The 22-year-old Pole is the youngest player to make the quarterfinals at all four majors since Svetlana Kuznetsova.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Swiatek will face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina for a spot in the semifinals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With confident ball-striking, Bencic raced to a 6-1 lead in the opening set tiebreak before closing it out on her fourth set point to hand Swiatek her loss of a set.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Swiatek responded immediately, breaking Bencic with a clean forehand return winner in the opening game of the second set, but Bencic kept the pressure on, breaking back to 3-all. After Bencic held to 6-5 on a netted forehand return from the World No.1, Swiatek found herself serving to stay in the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Facing two match points at 15-40, Swiatek showed her champion's mettle. She saved both points with winners from both wings, holding serve to force another tiebreak after over two hours of play.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Having kept herself in the match, Swiatek raced away with the tiebreak to take the high-quality match into a third set. Two early break points decided the third set. Bencic earned the first chance, with Swiatek serving at 1-1, but could not convert.<\/p>\r\n\r\n