Elina Svitolina upsets Swiatek at Wimbledon.

Elina Svitolina waves to the crowd after her quarterfinal match victory against Iga Swiatek at the Championships Wimbledon. 

Elina Svitolina pulled off an amazing victory at the Championships Wimbledon Tuesday. The Ukrainian was forced to the full lengths against Iga Swiatek winning 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 on Center Court at the All England Tennis Club. It was the first time she defeated the current world number one and the seventh of her career.

The two met in Rome two years ago, and Swiatek went on to win the tournament. The Pole felt what it was like to be in Svitolina’s shoes and then some. The 22-year-old surpassed her round of 16 finish in that same year, ready to fight against the Ukrainian. Both players went the distance against Belinda Bencic, who the number one seed overcame. The 28-year-old defeated her fellow mother Victoria Azarenka, to get back to the last eight. In her quest to be in the semis like she did in 21’, the wild card knew that every trick she had in the book and her support in the stands was necessary to take down the top seed.

Swiatek came out firing hard against the wild card, breaking late in the first and serving to love in the second. The 28-year-old got on the board, avoiding the chance of giving Swiatek a breakpoint. She dug in to try and break to level, but the Pole brought in her net-front presence to deny that opportunity. An error forced Svitolina to deuce, and after two breaks, the Ukrainian had herself level through four.

Swiatek reestablished the break after getting to deuce, watching a return from Svitolina land wide of the tramlines. She backed up the break with a strong hold of serve, doubling the gap on the Ukrainian. Svitolina contained her serve, but her attempts to level went sour after three forced errors at the hands of her opponent. The top seed dominated on serve in the eighth, shoving the scoreline pressure on Svitolina.

Her drop shot strategy in the ninth didn’t go to plan as the world number one handled the challenge. The 28-year-old came back from 0-30, forcing an error by Swiatek on game point to have her try and serve out the set. The top seed suddenly had issues with the serve, giving Svitolina a serve-to-love situation. A double fault sealed it for the wild card, who tied it up, and a shot at serving for the lead.

Svitolina forced errors against Swiatek, reaching game point with ease. On triple set point, the 28-year-old suffered a double fault, getting it done on a forced error by the number one seed. Swiatek served to force a set tiebreak but struggled once more with the serve. Her opponent won 14 of the last 15 points, needing an error from Svitolina to get back control. It was a lone point for the top seed, who handed the Ukrainian set points. A short rally ended with Swiatek hitting one wide on the return to end the first in 57 minutes.

Svitolina won 16 of the last 18 points played in the set, leaving the Pole to go speak with her team about how to recover. She had time to leave the court as the roof was closing due to rain. Swiatek’s second serve was at eight percent, causing a major effect on her game as a whole.

After 15 minutes went by since the last point, Svitolina placed herself to serve Swiatek to love. She won 20 of the last 22 points before the top seed got slightly on track. She held her end in the second, finding something to break the Ukrainian and get back in the lead. She picked up her third win in a row, achieving the momentum Swiatek desperately needed. The 28-year-old denied her opponent a double break and jumped ahead on the score in the sixth. After a third double fault from Swiatek, Svitolina leveled the score, getting back to attacking the Pole’s forehand.

She got the serve to love in the seventh, winning 12 of the last 15 points. Swiatek put together an important victory in the eighth, where she hit the ball away from the Ukrainian. The 22-year-old opened the door to convert the break, but on the key point, she blew it on a forehand error. Another return brought Svitolina to deuce, and after a break, she took the 5-4 lead. The world number one was under pressure to serve out the 10th and stay alive in the match.

The Pole was fortunate to draw errors from Svitolina, getting another error to serve to love. With the score tied, the 11th was a huge game for both players, but the Ukrainian fought through every point to achieve the hold of serve. For the second time, Swiatek had to serve to stay in the match, painting the lines for winners on two points and an error on the next. She aced it for the win, sending them to a tiebreak.

Svitolina and Swiatek won points on the opening serves, but the Ukrainian went on to take the next three straight. The top seed forced a point to sit two down, then a line-drive winner to get within reach. A return winner right at the baseline leveled the score for Swiatek, who then gifted a point back. She nailed another one at the baseline to make it five-all and her 20th forehand winner. A crosscourt winner allowed Swiatek to reach set point, taking the victory on a long ball from Svitolina, sending them to a decider after 1 hour and 13 minutes.

The second serve improved for Swiatek, who attacked consistently, breaking Svitolina and her second serve, which fell to 40 percent. Both reset, with Swiatek serving to start the third. She handled the serve well, then challenged the 28-year-old in the second. Svitolina played hard to defend her service game, needing two breaks on deuce to do it. The Ukrainian added a well-deserved break in the third before holding serve to lead 3-1.

Svitolina scored a double break in the fifth, going for it all back on serve. After a bad drop shot, the Ukrainian marched through the next four points, acing her way to game point. She notched another one to lead 5-1, putting Swiatek in a serious spot. The 22-year-old rushed to 40-0, but an error opened the door for Svitolina to bounce back.

Swiatek stopped her to hold the seventh, staying around for one more game. The 28-year-old served for the match, drawing an error from her opponent. She fired one down the line, then came in near the net to hit a crosscourt winner. A line drive return brought up three match points but double-faulted. She made her second attempt count, watching Swiatek hit one into the net, ending a 2-hour and 51-minute battle.

"It's really unbelievable," Svitolina said during her on-court interview. "I'm really really happy that I got this chance to play here again, and playing this great match in a great atmosphere was an unbelievable feeling for me. I was just fighting, and it was not easy playing against Iga. Obviously, she is the world number one and she is fighting but today was an unbelievable match, and I am happy that I could win this one."

The 28-year-old mother would get a day off before preparing for her semifinal match against Marketa Vondrousova on Thursday.