Hopman cup

Belinda Bencic: Belinda Bencic defeated No. 18 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach her first-ever Wimbledon quarterfinal, and her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since becoming a mother, in 1 hour and 57 minutes here on Monday.

Just two weeks ago, the Swiss star had managed to win only three games in a heavy defeat to Alexandrova in Bad Homburg, marking her return from an arm injury. But Bencic turned the tables in emphatic fashion, needing just under two hours to clinch a spot in the last eight.

The match featured a tense finish. Serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set, Bencic held five match points, only to see Alexandrova erase four of them with fearless forehand winners. When Alexandrova broke back, momentum appeared to swing.