MELBOURNE, Australia — Elina Svitolina of Ukraine rallied from 4-1 down and took 11 of the next 12 games in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Veronika Kudermetova of Russia on Monday to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the third time.
The 30-year-old Ukrainian is into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the 12th time. It´s her first time to be back in the quarter-finals in Australia since 2019.
“Feels like a lifetime ago,” Svitolina said according to AP. Since her last run this far in Australia, she married French player Gael Monfils in 2021 and the pair had a daughter, Skai, in 2022.
“Many things happened and I’m really pleased with the performance throughout the tournament. I am really enjoying this win.
“For me, it´s a really amazing tournament go deep in this kind of tournament.”
After dropping two early service games, Svitolina said she her only goal “was just trying to fight.”
“It´s the only thing I can do when things are not going your way, put your head down and get back to work,” she said. “Really happy I could come into the match and then win in straight sets.”
Veronika Kudermetova took a medical timeout for on-court treatment on her abdomen after falling behind 5-4 the ninth game. She saved a set point in the next game before Svitolina finished it off in 50 minutes.
Kudermetova left the court for treatment after the first set. Svitolina held to open the second set and then had a breakpoint but Kudermetova saved and held for 1-1, following up a forehand winner down the line with a loud roar.
That was the end of her celebrating. It wasn´t just power and pace from Svitolina. After bringing Kudermetova to the net with a drop shot and then lobbing over her to start the next game, Svitolina punched the air.
Svitolina, who beat fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini in the third round, said she hoped to be courtside for Monfils’ match. “Playing the way that he plays right now, it´s special,” she said.
Coco Gauff’s consecutive-set streak ended at the Australian Open. Her bid for a second Grand Slam title continued with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 comeback victory over Belinda Bencic in the fourth round.
Gauff – a 20-year-old from Florida who won the 2023 US Open as a teenager – had collected all 16 sets she’d played this year and 24 of her past 25 dating to the end of last season, which included a title at the WTA Finals.
“In the first set, she played great tennis, and it was tough for me to be on the offense,” Gauff said after grabbing the last five games against Bencic. “I just played more aggressively in the second set and then also the third set.”
The tournament’s No. 3 seed was unable to control her shots well enough at the start against Bencic on a steamy early afternoon in Rod Laver Arena, where the temperature hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and the blue playing surface was bathed in sunlight.
Spectators seated along the sides of the court fanned themselves; Gauff sought relief from cool air provided at the players’ sideline benches and pressed an ice pack against her face during one break in the action.
By the end, Gauff was in total control, and she motioned to the crowd for more noise after a reflex volley to win a point in the final game.
“Obviously there´s still a lot to go for me to accomplish my goal,” Gauff said, “but I can say that I´m proud of myself and happy with how I performed.”
Discussion about this post