Mirra Andreeva has looked unstoppable this fortnight, progressing to the quarterfinals without dropping a set. The teenage wunderkind obliterated Emma Navarro in their round of 16 clash, physically outmaneuvering the American in a comprehensive 6-2, 6-3 win.
2025 WTA Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
Wimbledon Tennis Championships
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England (Outdoor Grass-court)
Selected Quarterfinals- 9th July
Mirra Andreeva (7) 0.4 vs Belinda Bencic 1.9
She never gave up on any point and always seemed to be in the right place, at the right time. She was particularly impressive with those sneaky drop-shots (especially when you consider Navarro’s athleticism). Andreeva has enjoyed a wonderful breakthrough campaign, picking up back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells. Andreeva has played solidly at Grand Slam level, reaching the 4th round in Melbourne and the quarters in Paris. She looked a little shaky in her grass-court precursors but has obviously stabilized this fortnight, improving to 36-10 for the year with that resounding win over Navarro.
2024 Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic only returned from maternity leave in October of last year. However, the versatile Swiss shot-maker has produced some consistent tennis this year and is on the precipice of entering the top 30 in the world. She reached the 4th round of the Aussie Open before storming to victory in Abu Dhabi. She missed the French Open due to injury and was thoroughly trounced by Ekaterina Alexandrova in her only grass-court match leading into Wimbledon. Bencic got her revenge yesterday, taking down Alexandrova 7-6, 6-4 to progress to her maiden Wimbledon quarterfinal (and first Grand Slam quarterfinal since becoming a mother). Bencic has reached the final 16 here on three previous occasions and has always been an astute grass-court operator. She won Wimbledon as a junior and has reached four tour-level finals on the surface (winning Eastbourne back in 2015). The skillful shot-maker understands the need to vary her game on this surface, hitting plenty of off-speed shots to counterbalance her more aggressive shot-making.
The Verdict: Bencic to win in three sets at 5.4- This will be their first career meeting. Andreeva is certainly the belle of this year’s ball, endearing herself to supporters with her relentless energy and brilliant shot-making. She was so laser-focused against Navarro that she didn’t realize she had won the match. However, I have a feeling that Bencic could spoil Andreeva’s run. The experienced Swiss star counterpunched expertly against Alexandrova, and I think that is what is needed against the relentless Russian. Bencic just seems extremely motivated, and this could be her time.
Iga Swiatek (8) 0.35 vs Liudmila Samsonova (19) 2.1
It’s crazy to think that the entire tennis community had given up on Swiatek a few weeks ago. Sure, she hasn’t been the all-conquering goddess who once won 37 consecutive tour-level matches. She lost some confidence, and her movement started to suffer (she tired to hit herself out of trouble instead of hanging tough). In any event, Swiatek has rediscovered some form in recent months, improving to 12-2 in her last three events with a thumping straight-sets win over big-hitting Dane Clara Tauson. Swiatek reached her first grass-court final at the recent Bad Hamburg Open and just appears to be going from strength to strength. It’s almost as if she has been liberated by diminished expectations. She has only dropped one set this fortnight, and she served exceptionally against Tauson, winning a staggering 92% of her first-serve points. Swiatek reached the quarters here back in 2023 and will be looking to make her maiden SW19 semifinal appearance.
19th seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova has looked in inspired form during these championships, reaching a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal without dropping a single set. Samsonova had a sightly tougher time in her round of 16 clash with Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, just edging out the Spaniard 7-5, 7-5. She served in typically authoritative fashion, winning 73% of her first-serve points. And she was brutal on return, winning 64% of her 2nd serve return points. Samsonova is powerful player who likes to gain the early ascendancy in rallies. Samsonova reached two WTA 1000 finals in 2023 and has been a consistent presence in and around the top 20 mark for some time. She has always been a solid grass-court operator, utilizing her big serve and ultra-aggressive style to bulldoze her way through opponents. She won Berlin in 2021 and picked up her 5th career title in Rosmalen last year. She came into this year’s championship with some grass-court heat after a solid semifinal run in Berlin (where she beat the likes of Pegula and Anisimova).
The Verdict: Swiatek to win in straight sets at 0.86- Swiatek has dominated this rivalry, winning all four of their previous meetings. In fact, Samsonova has only won ten games in their last three meetings. Swiatek is serving fantastically well, and I think she will rush Samsonova into a plethora of errors. Swiatek seems revitalized during these championships, determined to show she isn’t a spent force in the upper echelons of the women’s game.
