London, July 9: Iga Swiatek reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over 19th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova that went from a stroll to a bit of a struggle in the late stages Wednesday. Swiatek is a five-time Grand Slam champion, with four of those titles on the red clay of the French Open, and the other on the hard courts of the U.S. Open. She's also twice been a semifinalist at the hard-court Australian Open. Taylor Fritz Credits Girlfriend Morgan Riddle After Wimbledon 2025 Win Over Karen Khachanov Secures Semifinal Spot.

The grass courts of the All England Club had always given her the most trouble as a pro, even though she did claim a junior championship there in 2018. In her five appearances in Wimbledon's women's bracket before this year, she had made it as far as the quarterfinals just once, exiting in that round in 2023.

But the 24-year-old from Poland is enjoying a career-best run on the slick surface, thanks in part to being more comfortable with the footing required. Before the start of Wimbledon, Swiatek was the runner-up in Bad Homburg, Germany, her first final at a tournament played on grass — and her first final at any event in more than a year. Why Spectators Wear Formals While Attending Wimbledon? Here's Why Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Roger Federer and Others Were Spotted in Suit At All-England Tennis Club.

That included a semifinal loss against Aryna Sabalenka at Roland-Garros last month, putting an end to Swiatek's 26-match French Open winning streak.

On Thursday, Swiatek will face either Belinda Bencic for a spot in the title match at the All England Club. Swiatek led by a set and 3-0 in the second against Samsonova, who was appearing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Soon, though, it was 4-all, then 5-all. But Swiatek held for a 6-5 lead, then broke to end it, and a smile spread across her face. (AP)

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