Elina Svitolina takes out Iga Swiatek to earn well-deserved beer while Gael Monfils stays on daddy duties

Shahida Jacobs
Elina Svitolina stunned after winning
Elina Svitolina celebrates

Gael Monfils will be on daddy duties for a few more days and Harry Styles has to wait as the magical story of Elina Svitolina continues at Wimbledon.

The wildcard took out her fourth Grand Slam champion at this year’s grass-court Grand Slam by defeating world No 1 Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 in two hours and 41 minutes on Tuesday.

Following Svitolina’s brilliant start to the tournament, husband Monfils – who has been taking care of their baby daughter Skai – jokingly told her he wanted her to “come back”.

But she won’t quite be making her way back home just yet while she also wont’ be attending a Styles concert over the next few days.

The former world No 3 was due to attend a concert in Vienna over the weekend, but had to give her tickets away as she was still at Wimbledon. Styles then offered her tickets to any of his remaining gigs, but for now she is unable to go as she is still very much alive at Wimbledon.

Having dropped down the WTA Rankings after giving birth in October last year, Svitolina was handed a wildcard by organisers and she has repaid them multiple times.

After taking out seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams in the first round, she beat 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the third round and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round.

Was she going to be able to repeat the trick against four-time major champion and current world No 1 Swiatek in the quarter-final?

The answer was an emphatic yes.

After being broken in the first game of the match, Svitolina hit back in game four only for Swiatek to edge ahead again in the next game. But then out of nowhere she took charge as she broke to love in game 10 and again in 12 to take the first set.

Following a break for each early in the second set, it went to a tie-breaker and Svitolina had the early mini-break but the Pole stormed back and took the match to a decider.

The third-set display was as dominant a performance you will see from any player against Swiatek as the Ukrainian raced into a 5-1 lead with a double break.

Following a hold from the world No 1, Svitolina found herself 40-0 and after Swiatek saved the first match point, she duly wrapped up the match at the second time of asking to reach the semi-final at Wimbledon for the second time in her career.

“I don’t know what is happening right now. It’s really unbelievable,” the Ukrainian said. “I’m really, really happy that I got the chance to play here again. Playing this great match in a great atmosphere was an unbelievable feeling for me.”

Asked how she will spend the next few days, she replied: “First of all I’m gonna have a beer, probably. I’m gonna enjoy tonight, get some treatment, regroup and get ready for another big battle.”

The next “big battle” will be against Marketa Vondrousova, who took out fourth seed Jessica Pegula.

The American was on course to reach the last four as she was 3-1 up in the decider, but the Czech turned things around to win 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

READ MORE: Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils share baby Skai’s first TikTok and cute parenting pictures

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