Wimbledon 2025: Dream run continues as 'new mom' Belinda Bencic storms into semis

London, July 9 (IANS) Returning to the circuit after the birth of her child, Belinda Bencic continued with her dream run as she stormed into the women's singles semifinals at Wimbledon 2025, getting past youngster Mirra Andreeva in straight sets at the All-England Club here on Wednesday.

Bencic's comeback from maternity leave resulted in another massive step forward as the former Top 10 player ousted No. 7 seed in a pair of tiebreaks to reach her second career Grand Slam semifinal. Bencic defeated Andreeva 7-6(3), 7-6(2) on Court 1.

The 28-year-old Swiss needed 2 hours and 7 minutes to score her 38th career Top 10 win -- but just her second at Wimbledon -- to match her deepest-ever run at a Grand Slam event. In her first meeting with Andreeva, who is 10 years her junior, the former World No. 4 lost serve only once -- and it came when she first attempted to seal victory at 5-4 in the second set.

Bencic's first major semifinal -- a loss to Bianca Andreescu at the 2019 US Open -- came five years and 309 days ago, making her run to the last four at The Championships the fifth-longest gap between Grand Slam semifinals in the Open Era.

It was a masterclass in executing a game plan. Bencic does not have a big serve, but she put her largely slice delivery beautifully into the corners, keeping it very low and therefore out of the strike zone of her teenage opponent.

Then, using her unorthodox groundstrokes (open stance and stepping through shots), Bencic backed up her precise serve. The Swiss won 73 per cent of first serve points as she reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.

Earlier in the day, Iga Swiatek’s long-anticipated grass-court breakthrough finally arrived on Wednesday as the No. 8 seed powered past Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 7-5 to book her place in the semifinals for the first time in her career.

Playing on No. 1 Court, the five-time Grand Slam champion produced a commanding display against Samsonova, a first-time major quarterfinalist. Swiatek took 1 hour and 49 minutes to seal her fifth straight victory over the 19th-seeded Russian, extending her unbeaten head-to-head record to 5-0 as per WTA.

--IANS

bsk/