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.
Also Read: No. 1 title, 4 Grand Slams: Can the 'invincible' Iga Swiatek win Wimbledon, too?
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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