Svitolina reaches Australian Open quarter-finals

The round of 16 matches at the Australian Open tennis tournament were held on 20 January. Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina faced neutral athlete Veronika Kudermetova.

This contest marked the third meeting between the two tennis players, with Svitolina securing her first victory in their head-to-head record by delivering an impressive comeback.

The start of the match proved difficult for the Odesa native. She trailed 1-4 in the first set but managed to summon all her strength to turn the game around. Svitolina began winning game after game, despite fierce battles that frequently reached 40-40. Ultimately, the Ukrainian took five consecutive games to close out the set 6-4.

In the second set, both athletes initially exchanged games on their own serves. However, Svitolina then seized complete control, producing a run of five consecutive games. The match ended with a decisive victory for the Ukrainian – 6-1.

At the post-match press conference, Svitolina commented on the possibility of shaking hands with her Russian opponent:
«С учётом тех чувств и ассоциаций, которые у меня связаны с этой страной, я не могу представить, чтобы это когда-либо произошло» (Given the feelings and associations I have with this country, I cannot imagine this ever happening).

The match lasted one hour and 20 minutes. During this time, Svitolina hit five aces, committed three double faults, converted five of nine break points, and won seven of nine games on her serve. Her ratio of winners to unforced errors was 15-14.

Svitolina's next challenge will be a match against American Madison Keys. Currently, Keys holds a slight edge in their head-to-head record, having won three of their five previous encounters.