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Strawberries and cream – the traditional food combination seen at Wimbledon, but a different take on it may be fuelling Iga Swiatek’s bid for the title.

Following her straight-set win against American Danielle Collins on Saturday, she was asked what she would have to eat to celebrate it.

“I have my favourite actually,” she said. “I ate it as a kid. It is pasta with strawberries. “

Sorry, what?

“You should try it guys,” Swiatek continued. “Pasta with strawberries and a little bit of yoghurt. It is just great. “

It sounds an unusual combination – and for many people in the world it is – although it is a delicacy in Swiatek’s native Poland.

Tucking into it regularly seems to be doing the job as Swiatek is enjoying an impressive run at Wimbledon, beating Collins 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 15 minutes to set up a fourth-round meeting with Clara Tauson of Denmark.

The five-time Grand Slam champion has not fared well on grass in recent years and only twice before Saturday had she reached the fourth round at SW19.

But it has been a different story so far this year and, after Swiatek made the final of Bad Homburg last month, she has carried that momentum into Wimbledon.

Against Collins she dictated play with her first serve and faced just three break points in the match, saving all of them.

What is the secret to this upturn in form on grass?

“Honestly, it is much more fun [on the grass] this year,” said the 24-year-old former world number one.

Teenager Mirra Andreeva showed why she is one of the hottest prospects in the sport after moving into the fourth round with a comfortable win.

Seventh seed Andreeva, 18, outclassed American opponent Hailey Baptiste in a 6-1 6-3 victory on Court One.

Russia’s Andreeva reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open last month and is aiming to surpass that on the Wimbledon grass.

She has reached the last 16 for the second time in her career, having previously done the same in 2023.

“Before I played today I told myself, ‘Just go out there and do something’,” said Andreeva, who is making only her third appearance at the All England Club.

“I always expect something from myself but I always try to let myself go and enjoy.

Showing supreme movement and clinical ball-striking, Andreeva breezed through the opening set in 31 minutes.

Baptiste, ranked 55th in the world, was willed on in the second set by an enthusiastic crowd who wanted to see a true contest.

When Andreeva broke for a 3-1 lead, the result looked a formality. Baptiste instantly broke back to halt Andreeva’s progress but lost serve again as the world number seven secured a straightforward win in one hour and 18 minutes.

Under the tutelage of former SW19 champion Conchita Martinez, she has already won two WTA 1,000 titles – the rung of tournaments below the majors – in Dubai and Indian Wells this season.

Her impressive progress is demonstrated by the fact she has won 35 tour-level main-draw matches this year – a tally only bettered by world number one Aryna Sabalenka (44) and Swiatek (37).

A much tougher test than 23-year-old Baptiste awaits Andreeva next, however.

Another big seed was sent tumbling out of Wimbledon as former champion Elena Rybakina suffered a straight-set defeat by Tauson in a match that took more than four hours to complete because of rain delays.

Eleventh seed Rybakina, who won the Championships in 2022, was beaten 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 by Denmark’s Tauson, who knocked out former British number one Heather Watson in the opening round.

Rain initially caused this match on the exposed court two to be suspended at 4-4, but once play resumed two hours later it was a tight contest as neither player could be separated, before Tauson saved two set points and then took the opener in the tie-break.

The Dane continued her momentum by breaking Rybakina’s first service game in the second set, before the players went off the court as rain fell once more with Tauson leading 4-2.

But this delay was only around 15 minutes and Tauson returned to the court to seal another break and close out the win.

Tauson, who had never won on grass before this year, will next face eighth seed Swiatek.

“Thanks to the crowd it amazing to play here today even though it was a little rainy,” she said.

“Before this grass season had started I had never won a match on grass, so I am super proud. “

Barbora Krejcikova’s Wimbledon title defence came to a tearful end as physical struggles hampered her in a three-set defeat by American 10th seed Emma Navarro in the third round.

The Czech, who had come into the tournament after an injury scare, had seemed to be in control of the match but became increasingly distressed after being taken to a third set in a 2-6 6-3 6-4 defeat.

She bent over several times behind the baseline at the end of points and had the trainer on midway through the third set to have her blood pressure taken.

When she was one game from defeat, the 29-year-old leaned against the screen at the back of the court and cried.

Wiping away tears as she held serve to stay in the match, the end came in the following game when she netted as 24-year-old Navarro booked a fourth-round meeting with 18-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, who is the seventh seed.

Krejcikova was taken to three sets in her first two matches at the All England Club, coming into the match against Navarro having spent almost twice as long on the court as her opponent.

But she had started brightly, using her trademark shot variety to move Navarro around the court in a dominant first set.

She went a break up early in the second but allowed Navarro to get a foothold back in the match with a loose service game – featuring two double faults and a hugely overcooked forehand.

When she lost the second set, she swiftly left the court under a towel while a pumped Navarro stayed on her feet near the scoreboard for much of the break, seemingly keen to keep up the momentum.

Barbora Krejcikova’s Wimbledon title defence came to a tearful end when she ran out of energy “out of nowhere” in a three-set defeat by American 10th seed Emma Navarro in the third round.

The Czech, who had come into the tournament after an injury scare, had seemed to be in control of the match but became increasingly distressed after being taken to a third set in a 2-6 6-3 6-4 defeat.

“First of all, I thought that it was the food, that I ate too early,” she said. “That’s why I started with all the bananas and all the sugars and stuff inside. But I wasn’t really feeling better, I was actually feeling worse and worse with with the time on court.

“It’s very sad for me and very unfortunate. “

Krejcikova bent over several times behind the baseline at the end of points and had the trainer on midway through the third set to have her blood pressure taken.

When she was one game from defeat, the 29-year-old leaned against the screen at the back of the court and cried.

Wiping away tears as she held serve to stay in the match, the end came in the following game when she netted as 24-year-old Navarro booked a fourth-round meeting with 18-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, who is the seventh seed.

Krejcikova was taken to three sets in her first two matches at the All England Club, coming into the match against Navarro having spent almost twice as long on the court as her opponent.

But she had started brightly, using her trademark shot variety to move Navarro around the court in a dominant first set.

She went a break up early in the second but allowed Navarro to get a foothold back in the match with a loose service game – featuring two double faults and a hugely overcooked forehand.

When she lost the second set, she swiftly left the court under a towel while a pumped Navarro stayed on her feet near the scoreboard for much of the break, seemingly keen to keep up the momentum.

Krejcikova’s difficulties worsened in the third set, when she missed five break points and then dropped serve in the third game.

The 17th seed’s troubles then spilled over into an emotional final few games as she saw her crown slip away.

“All I can say is that in the first half of the match I was definitely enjoying myself on the court and I was feeling quite well,” she added. “But then suddenly out of nowhere I just lost all my energy and I couldn’t really gain it back.