2023-07-11 16:32:13
“I don’t know what’s going on…it’s unbelievable. I’m happy to have had the chance to come back and play such a match with such support,” said the 28-year-old Ukrainian. .
“I’m very proud of the effort I put in today,” she added.
“If someone had told me before the start of the tournament that I would be in the semi-finals following beating the world No.1, I would have called him crazy,” she said.
Not only did she beat the N.1, but to reach the last four, she dismissed four Grand Slam winners: Venus Williams (1st round), Sofia Kenin (3rd round), Victoria Azarenka (round of 16) and Swiatek (quarters).
For her part, she has never played in a major final, but had already reached the semi-finals twice, at Wimbledon and then at the US Open in 2019. She will face Thursday for a first place in the final the Czech Marketa Vondrousova (42nd) .
Svitolina is the third player in the Open era (since 1968) to receive an invitation to make it to the semis at Wimbledon following Zheng Jie (2008) and Sabine Lisicki (2011).
The former world No.3, also very emotionally affected by the war in Ukraine, resumed competition in April following giving birth last October to a daughter, Skaï, born of her union with the French player Gaël Monfils.
In May, she won the Strasbourg tournament.
Against Swiatek on Tuesday, the match might have turned in favor of the Pole several times, but she generally committed too many unforced errors (41 for 37 winning points once morest 25 and 25 for Svitolina).
As the Pole served for the set at 5-4 in the first set, Svitolina won 20 of 22 points to pocket that first set and lead 1-0 in the second.
Swiatek stopped the bleeding, leveling at 1-1, but found herself trailing 40-0 on the Ukrainian’s serve.
She then missed a forehand penalty that would have given her the game – Swiatek had completely given up the point before Svitolina struck the last shot –. But the Ukrainian missed and in the process, Swiatek took her service game to lead 2-1 then 3-1.
The Ukrainian did not lose her means and managed to take the round to the decisive game.
Again, Swiatek reversed a badly embarked situation (it was down 4/1) to equalize at one set everywhere.
And there once more, the Ukrainian showed great mental strength not to let the match fall apart.
In the deciding set, following losing the first game, she won the next four to lead 4-1 with a double break. She confirmed with two aces to lead 5-1 and concluded with her next face-off.
How will she prepare for her semi-final?
“I’m going to start with a beer!” she said.
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