The teacher mastered the student at the Australian Open Friday afternoon. Elina Svitolina gave no freebies to 15-year-old Marta Kostyuk who fell in the third round in a 6-2, 6-2 straight sets match on Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park. The junior Australian Open champion didn’t have the same talents as her popular countrywoman who was very much focused to advance to the fourth round for the very first time in her career.
The battle between the two Ukrainians was a highlight of the tournament for each as they had reasons to move on. The 15-year-old remained the youngest player in the ladies draw and gained the chance to play on the biggest stay in Australia. Svitolina was also in the spotlight as her hopes to be world number one were better with Garbine Muguruza and Venus Williams out of the running. With her draw settled until the quarterfinals, the fourth seed needed to teach her young countrywoman a lesson of handling pressure on a big stage.
The teenager broke ahead quickly sweeping away the hold of Svitolina and breaking her cleanly in the first game. Svitolina watched her win six consecutive points before she had enough of introductions winning the second after a quick break on deuce. The fourth seed got her revenge consolidating a break of Kostyuk to lead after three. After Kostyuk leveled back at two-all, Svitolina held to follow suit setting the pace on the score.
Double faults began to rack up for the teen who went to deuce in the sixth while Svitolina had the patience to wait for the right moment. After four breaks, the 23-year-old got the job done taking a 4-2 run with Kostyuk on the ropes. Her game wasn’t keeping together as she handed Svitolina another free game on serve in the seventh that put her in a tight spot serving to stay in the set with the fourth seed.
Nerves were very much in play for Kostyuk as she added her sixth double fault that put Svitolina on three set points. She saved one but smashed the ball into the net once more bringing the set to an end in 29 minutes. The 15-year old’s troubles were shown well in her first serve that was at 33 percent with 17 unforced errors to go with it. Despite having a good first serve, the second was troubling her most winning on 6 of 22.
Svitolina fed off her opponents problems going big on her serve to lead the second set. Kostyuk still had ways of responding to do so on serve in the second with cheers coming from the crowd that supported her. Svitolina answered with another easy hold of serve being at a speed that was a lot for the Ukrainian teenager. Frustrations showed for the first time as she blew another hold that gave Svitolina a double break and a 3-1 lead.
Svitolina was in full control making it 4-1 with very little opportunities to give to her young opponent as she sped to victory. Kostyuk gained another win putting pressure on her backhand shots that beat Svitolina in the sixth to stay in competitive shape in the set. Svitolina didn’t want that as she put her serve back in action smashing away at Kostyuk to go for a spot in the fourth round. The 15-year-old was in desperate mode as she hurried herself to commit errors while continuing to serve under 40 percent. The end came on two match points for Svitolina getting the win on a double fault that finished the for the fourth seed in 59 minutes.
“It’s very special for me, Svitolina said during her on-court interview. “I always love to come here but I never went further than the third round. It was sad that I was playing against a Ukrainian girl but I’m happy that I’m still alive in this tournament.”
Despite having beaten someone from her country, Svitolina said a lot of good things she hopes to see in her defeated opponent. “She’s a great fighter,” she said. “She always fights till the end and as we could see she definitely has a bright future and well hear about her much more in the future.
The world number four would continue her quest for glory moving into Sunday where she’ll face Denisa Allertova in the round of 32.
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