09 July,2023 08:02 AM IST | London | AP
Iga Swiatek
An avid reader, Iga Swiatek knows how to contextualize her Wimbledon experiences. Her third-round exit last year after winning the French Open was a disappointment. The top-ranked Swiatek cleared that hurdle Friday at the All England Club, dispatching 30th-seeded Petra Martic 6-2, 7-5 to reach the fourth round.
"It's just a totally different chapter," the 22-year-old Pole said. The four-time Grand Slam champion can reach her first Wimbledon quarter-final when she faces 14th-seeded Belinda Bencic on Sunday.
Swiatek has said she felt a lot of pressure last year from high expectations and the 35-match winning streak she carried into Wimbledon. "I do feel more relaxed. I think also because I won Roland Garros and I feel like after that the pressure is a little bit off because I reached my goal kind of for the season," she said.
Ons Jabeur, the No. 6 seed and runner-up to Rybakina a year ago, needed only 45 minutes to get past Bai Zhuoxuan of China 6-1, 6-1 to reach the third round.
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The Tunisian player was pleased with the win, of course, but also happy to talk about meeting David Beckham two days earlier. "Oh, amazing. Such an amazing person," said Jabeur, a big football fan and a former player herself. "I was really looking forward to meet him. We talked about football, about his daughter, tennis in general. Him maybe watching a couple matches in US. So let's see."
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