One stat that surfaced, when the women’s quarterfinal line-up was set, was that for the first time in 14 years at Wimbledon it featured the four top seeds.
It was also the first time in a decade it had happened at any Grand Slam tournament.
This was the latest evidence the women’s game was enjoying an increasing level of stability after years of fluctuation in its upper reaches.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek and fourth-ranked Jessica Pegula were two of those top four seeds, and built commanding positions against their opponents on Tuesday.
Pegula tackled 42nd-ranked Marketa Vondrousova in her sixth Grand Slam quarterfinal, in what was a golden opportunity to progress to a first semifinal.
Yes, Vondrousova was a Roland Garros finalist in 2019, but she had not reached another major quarterfinal in 11 subsequent starts. Prior to 2023, she had only ever won one match at Wimbledon.
Pegula led by an early break in the first set, and built a 4-1 lead in the third set. She had a point for 5-1.
Then rain fell. The match was delayed as the roof was closed. A reinvigorated Vondrousova reeled off five consecutive games to pull off a stunning triumph.
Pegula was shell-shocked.
“Sucks to lose that way, having the lead in the third. I don't know what else to say, to be honest,” she said. “She played solid. She literally didn't miss for, like, the next five games.”
As this unfolded on No.1 Court, Swiatek’s game unravelled against a spirited Elina Svitolina on Centre Court.
Swiatek, gaining in confidence and momentum on grass, burst out of the blocks and built a 5-3 lead – and went ahead 0-30 on Svitolina’s serve in the next game.
Suddenly, she lost the next 11 consecutive points, and 16 of the last 18 points of the set, to lose it.
She rebounded, rediscovering the range on her erratic forehand to snatch the second set, after trailing 1-4 in the tiebreak. It was similar to what she had done in her previous match, where she saved two match points deep in the second set to overcome Belinda Bencic.
She entered the final set with momentum. But Svitolina, a wildcard, won it 6-2 to send the world No.1 out of the tournament.
Instead of a one-versus-four semifinal – Swiatek-Pegula battles have become a recent feature in the second week of Slams – it is now Svitolina against Vondrousova for a place in the Wimbledon final.
The winner will become the first unseeded woman in 60 years to reach the final at the All England Club.
The last was Billie Jean King – back when she was known by her maiden name of Moffitt – in the pre-Open era championship of 1963.
On paper, these two quarterfinal results look like the most extraordinary of upsets.
Yet Vondrousova and Svitolina have a history as top players themselves, and a knack for elevating their games against quality opposition.
Perhaps Swiatek and Pegula approached these match-ups uneasily, sensing the danger their opponents posed?
Svitolina’s resurgence has been the revelation of the tournament, given she only returned to the sport in April.
The Ukrainian, a former world No.3, said that having a child, and playing for her war-torn country, had shifted her perspective.
She remains calmer on court in pressure-packed situations in big matches.
“Right now I just say to myself I think it's less years that I have in front than behind me,” said Svitolina, who also reached the semifinals at Roland Garros.
“I have to go for it. I don't have time to lose anymore. I don't know how many years I will be playing more.
“Like today, I was walking through the path where you go to the Centre Court, you see so much history. You just realise you practice for these kind of moments. I told myself, Go out there, give your best, go for it.
“This really helped me.”
Svitolina’s win over Swiatek was her seventh over a world No.1.
But it was the first time she had beaten the world’s top-ranked player at a Grand Slam. And until this fortnight at Wimbledon, she had lost nine of her 11 previous meetings with top-10 players at the majors.
This is a significant shift, indeed.
Vondrousova, meanwhile, has continued her giant-killing reputation.
The Czech, a former world No.14 who also won silver in singles at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has now won four of her last seven matches against top-10 players, all played this year.
More notably, in 12 career meetings against top-four players, she has won half of them.
“I always loved it here, but I didn't do so good. My best result was second round. Now I just get better,” said Vondrousova, who has beaten four consecutive seeds to arrive at this point.
“These two weeks are incredible. I just came here and I said to myself: ‘Just stay open-minded, just try to play your game and everything’.
“Now this is happening, so it's a crazy thing. Also today (against Pegula) was a crazy match.
“I'm just a bit in shock.”