Svitolina storms into Australian Open quarter-finals
MELBOURNE: Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina displayed remarkable resilience as she overturned a sluggish start to defeat Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1 on Monday, securing her place in the Australian Open quarter-finals for the third time.
Svitolina, 30, found herself trailing 4-1 in the first set but shifted gears, unleashing an aggressive style that allowed her to claim five consecutive games. The spirited comeback ensured her 12th career Grand Slam quarter-final appearance.
Kudermetova, hampered by a medical timeout at the end of the first set, struggled to regain momentum. Svitolina capitalized, breaking for a 3-1 lead in the second set with a confident volley at the net.
Buoyed by her renewed confidence, the Ukrainian sealed the match with a stunning backhand winner, setting up a clash with either Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina or American Madison Keys.
Reflecting on her performance, Svitolina said, “I was just trying to fight. It’s the only thing I can do when things are not going my way. I’m really happy I could fight my way back into the match and win in straight sets.”(Reuters)
