Can Putintseva ride the wave of her Swiatek upset?

Yulia Putintseva, surveying the swirling scene on No.1 Court, drew her shoulders and threw all 5-foot-4 inches of her pulsating body into a primal scream.

She had won only one of her eight previous meetings with the World No.1, but on Saturday she scored a staggering 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 upset over Iga Swiatek. The 29-year-old from Kazakhstan won 12 of the last 15 games, launching her into the second week at Wimbledon for the first time.

Wimbledon 2024: Scores | Draws | Order of play

It’s not a coincidence that Putintseva’s only No.1 win came on grass, five years ago against Naomi Osaka in Birmingham. Including her recent title, also at Birmingham two weeks ago, Putintseva has now won eight straight matches on grass — her longest winning streak in Hologic WTA Tour main draws. Jannik Sinner, the ATP’s No.1 player, is “only” 7-0 on grass this year.

“At some point I was playing fearless,” Putintseva told reporters. “I was just, `I can do it, I have to believe 100 percent, I have nothing to lose, just go for it.’ Also my coach told me, `No matter which shot you’re doing, believe 100 percent.’ ”

Monday’s four go-for-it fourth-round matches from the top half of the draw feature a pleasing blend of fresh faces and familiar champions. Let’s break them down:

[13] Jelena Ostapenko vs. Yulia Putintseva

After Ostapenko defeated Bernarda Pera 6-1, 6-3, reporters — like forensic scientists — pressed her about the next opponent. The assumption, not unreasonable, was that it would be World No.1 Swiatek.

What was the secret to Ostapenko’s extraordinary 4-0 head-to-head record against Swiatek?

“The secret is going to be a secret — so I’m not going to say that,” said Ostapenko, smiling cryptically like the Mona Lisa.

And a secret it will remain after Putintseva’s monumental upset of Swiatek. This is a fabulous popcorn match, a meeting of two fun, fiery and irrepressible personalities.

The Ostapenko effect: Behind the game-changing, irrepressible Latvian star

Ostapenko, the 2017 winner at Roland Garros, reached the Wimbledon semifinals a year later, losing to eventual champion Angelique Kerber. She hasn’t made it past the fourth round here since, but she has looked scarily good through the first week. She’s lost just 10 games.

Head-to-head: 2-2, with Ostapenko winning the most recent match three years ago at Indian Wells in three sets.

[11] Danielle Collins vs. [31] Barbora Krejcikova

Momentum in tennis can turn on a dime, especially when the weather asserts itself. And at Wimbledon, Land of the London Fog, it’s happened a lot this fortnight.

Collins was trailing 20th-seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 4-0 on Saturday when rain sent the players scurrying inside. When they came back, Collins won six straight games.

And then, with the score even in the second set, rain intervened and the match was suspended. After a lengthy delay, Collins banged out a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

In her farewell season, Collins has played the best tennis of her life. In her sixth and, presumably, last Wimbledon, she’s through to the second week for the first time. Collins, who earlier this year won 15 consecutive matches and titles in Miami and Charleston, has yet to drop a set.

Krejcikova, the 2021 Roland Garros champion, defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro when she retired trailing 6-0, 4-3. The Czech made the quarterfinals to start her Slam season at the Australian Open, but after injury and illness derailed her spring, she’s looking dangerous again. A win would put her into her first Wimbledon quarterfinal.

“Danielle, she’s having very good year,” Krejcikova said. “She’s also very, very solid and quality, quality player. It’s going to be a difficult match. I’m looking forward for that.”

WTA Insider Podcast: Collins stuns in Miami | Krejcikova plots her comeback

Head-to-head: 1-0, Krejcikova, a three-set victory in last year’s San Diego semifinals.

[4] Elena Rybakina vs. [17] Anna Kalinskaya

This one could be a barn-burner.

Based on her seeding and the 2022 title here, Rybakina will be the overwhelming favorite. She put together an almost flawless 6-0, 6-1 third-round victory over Caroline Wozniacki that included nine aces and 36 winners. Rybakina’s power game was enhanced by playing under a closed roof.

Here were Wozniacki’s post-mortem observations:

“There’s really not much to say. She obviously played extremely well today. Everything went in … Big serves, big shots. Everything was going the right direction. The only free points I got today was when it didn’t matter.”

Still, if the weather allows and the roof stays off in their potential show court, don’t discount Kalinskaya’s chances. Unlike Rybakina, she has yet to drop a set with clean wins over qualifier Panna Udvardy, Marie Bouzkova and a 7-6 (4), 6-2 third-round victory over No.15 Liudmila Samsonova.

She has spent the entire 2024 season surprising everyone — except herself.

Kalinskaya is enjoying her finest season as a professional, including a first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal earlier this year in Melbourne. She went on to make her first WTA 1000 final in Dubai, where she beat No.1 Swiatek en route. A few weeks ago she made her first grass-court final, where she had match points on Jessica Pegula before losing in Berlin.

Head-to-head: 2-2, with Rybakina taking the most recent match, last year in Rome, via retirement.

[21] Elina Svitolina vs. Wang Xinyu

A year ago, Svitolina was the sentimental storyline of the tournament, reaching the semifinals after coming back to the Hologic WTA Tour as a mother. In retrospect, it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise.

Svitolina, 29, has made the semifinals here two of the past three times she’s played, in 2019 and 2023, and is two wins from a third appearance in the final four. With the spotty weather, it’s been a challenge to stay focused.

“Of course, it’s not easy,” Svitolina said after defeating No.10 Ons Jabeur 6-1, 7-6 (4). “I think for my first match I was warming up six or seven times, but we are all in the same conditions.

“Today I had an amazing opportunity to play in the Centre Court, so I cannot complain about the schedule so much. I’m just happy to get through all these rounds before and just be in the fourth round again.”

Wang came in with a 1-2 career record at Wimbledon but has been a revelation here. The 22-year-old’s breakthrough win was a three-set upset of No.5 seed Pegula in the second round. On Saturday, she took out Great Britain’s Harriet Dart 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Wang will be trying to surpass her best major effort, the Round of 16 at last year’s US Open.

Head-to-head: First meeting.