Swiatek reaches maiden SW19 semi with goosebumps, grit

IGA Swiatek said she had "goosebumps" after reaching the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in her illustrious career, following a 6-2, 7-5 win against Russia's Liudmila Samsonova on Wednesday.

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The Polish eighth seed will now face former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic for a place in Saturday's final, after the Swiss player won her quarterfinal against Russia's Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2), also on Wednesday. Swiatek has won four titles on the clay at the French Open, as well as the US Open in 2022, but has struggled on the lawns of the All England Club. Her previous best result at Wimbledon was a run to the quarterfinals in 2023.

Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion and winner of the US Open in 2022, has previously struggled to find her footing on the grass courts of the All England Club. Her best result before this year was a quarterfinal appearance in 2023.