Wimbledon: Iga Swiatek Beats Petra Martic to reach round of 16

World No.1 Iga Swiatek advanced to the Round of 16 at Wimbledon for the second time in her career, defeating 30th-seed Petra Martic 6-2, 7-5 in the third round.

With straight-set wins over Martic, Sara Sorribes Tormo, and Zhu Lin, Swiatek has lost 13 games through the first week at Wimbledon. The four-time major champion is bidding to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time.

On Sunday, Swiatek will face No.14 seed Belinda Bencic for a spot in the quarterfinals. The match pits two Wimbledon junior champions against each other. Bencic won the girls’ title 10 years ago in 2013. Swiatek won it five years ago in 2018.

The Swiss advanced to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette. Bencic owns a phenomenal 4-3 record against reigning World No.1s, with three wins over Naomi Osaka and one over Serena Williams.

“I’m really up for the challenge,” Bencic said. “I’m excited to play her. I think I’m a player that I play well against top players.”

Swiatek’s win over Martic is her 13th consecutive victory, a streak that began with her title run at Roland Garros last month. Since losing her first set on grass this season to Tatjana Maria at Bad Homburg, Swiatek has now won 12 consecutive sets.