Iga Swiatek ensured her career-best Wimbledon run as she reached the semi-finals for the first time against Tokyo Olympic champion Belinda Bencic.
The 24-year-old, a four-time French Open champion, swept aside Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 7-5 on Court One.
Swiatek will play former top five player Bencic, who missed all the Grand Slams in 2024 to give birth to daughter Bella in April last year, overcoming Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2).
Swiatek has never before been able to convincingly transfer her clay-court nous to the lawns of the All England Club.
But after losing her Roland Garros crown last month, the Polish star looks determined to finally open her turf account.
“It feels great. Even though it’s the middle of the tournament I got goosebumps after this win,” she said.
“I’ve really enjoyed playing this year and hopefully it’s going to last as long as possible. This year I feel I can work with it.”
A convincing victory means the prospect of a mouth-watering first grand slam final between Swiatek and the woman who replaced her as world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, remains on the cards.
Samsonova, the 19th seed who was inspired to pick up a tennis racket after watching compatriot Maria Sharapova playing on TV, was making her first appearance in a Grand Slam quarter-final, and it showed.
She made 18 unforced errors as Swiatek raced away with the first set and back-to-back double faults gifted the eighth seed a break at the start of the second.
Having lost seven straight games the 26-year-old began to swing more freely and managed to reel Swiatek back in at 4-4.
However, Swiatek brought up two match points and converted the second with a forehand winner, wrapping up victory in an hour and 49 minutes.
Bencic through to her first Wimbledon semis
Belinda Bencic ended the teenage dreams of Mirra Andreeva to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final
Bencic won two tough tie-breaks to beat seventh seed Andreeva and reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.
Andreeva, 18, was bidding to become the youngest semi-finalist at the All England Club since Maria Sharapova won the title 21 years ago but Bencic edged a cat-and-mouse battle and she will now face Swiatek in just the second Grand Slam semi-final of her career.
Bencic, the first Swiss woman to make it this far since Martina Hingis in 1998, beamed after putting away the final volley, saying: “It’s crazy, it’s unbelievable, it’s a dream come true. I tried not to think about it at the match point. I’m speechless. So happy.
“I’m very proud. I didn’t say that to myself much in my career but after having Bella I really say that to myself every day. We are just enjoying life on tour. It’s been beautiful to create these memories together.”
Her first major semi-final came six years ago at the US Open, which had been by a distance her best major tournament, although Bencic achieved the high point of her career in 2021 by winning Olympic singles gold.
She returned from her maternity break at the end of October by playing lower-tier events and it was a strategy that worked, with the 28-year-old, who travels with Bella and fitness trainer husband Martin Hromkovic in tow, finding her feet immediately back on the WTA Tour this year.
The pair had a royal audience, with the Queen sat in the Royal Box, and this was an absorbing contest from the start, with very little to choose between the two.
Bencic and Andreeva are two of the best tacticians in the women’s game, and they probed each other looking for an advantage, with neither giving up anything until the first-set tie-break, when the Swiss was the steadier.
Bencic looked poised to clinch victory when she secured the first break of serve in the contest in the ninth game of the second set to leave herself serving for the match.
Andreeva looked to coach Conchita Martinez, back in her familiar role a day after her young charge had played cheerleader during an invitation doubles match, and with her back against the wall she managed to hit straight back.
Bencic was struggling with a painful toenail but, having sent the trainer away at 5-4, she battled her way into a tie-break and again showed her experience to move into the last four.
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