Elina Svitolina had a tough day on court but finished strong at the Australian Open Wednesday. The fourth seed battled Katerina Siniakova who had a lot of fight but too many unforced errors and an issue in her leg that gave her opponent a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 win on Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park. Svitolina saved seven of ten break points in the match that was one of her keys to victory.
The two met back in September which saw them making the first round of the US Open very lopsided. The Czech overcame a 0-6 run in the first set to go for broke and beat Svitolina in a dramatic tiebreaker. She continued to give the Ukrainian a headache being fierce in the final set where she was eliminated. The situation was slightly the same aside from the fact that they both succeeded in opening round matchups. While Siniakova put in a lot of effort to win her match against Maria Sakkari, the day off gave her a chance to bring that same energy against the fourth seed.
Svitolina dashed through her first game win in less than a minute showing that she was ready to give it her all. Siniakova followed it up with a win as well wanting to keep close to her at all costs. She was challenged on serve in the fourth giving Svitolina some room for the attack, Siniakova managed to hold her off from a break and keep level. The Ukrainian got into trouble in the fifth creating errors that gave Siniakova three break points. A comeback ensued for Svitolina who recovered all the ground lost and won on the second break of deuce.
Svitolina delivered the same level of opposition and frustrated the Czech with a tight battle for the sixth game. After four breaks and the 14th point played, Siniakova held to get out of trouble for the moment. It was another chance for her to avenge the effort put in the previous game where she got it done with a break to take a 4-3 lead over the fourth seed.
The 21-year-old made it 5-3 putting Svitolina in a tight spot sitting two games down. She landed her seventh ace of the set struggled along the way but held an important one against Siniakova. Defense was the order of the game for Siniakova who wanted to close the door on Svitolina while the chance was alive. She had her opportunity on set point but the Ukrainian battled in a rally to make the last return absolutely difficult to put back in.
It sent things to deuce where Svitolina had the AD point twice but couldn’t secure it. Siniakova held the honor and earned the victory on her second attempt ending the set in 50 minutes. While they evened one another on winners and errors, the fact that Svitolina failed to win a break point in six tries was something to worry about.
After taking an off-court break, Svitolina made a big push to dictate the second set taking the first two games swiftly. She hunted for a third straight but Siniakova rallied to overcome the deficit. They went to four breaks where the fourth seed held firm to capture the game win and hold back her opponent longer. Siniakova ended Svitolina’s winning streak with a hold of serve that was imperative to making a straight sets win possible.
Svitolina did not want that to happen and she put the first serve to work beating down Siniakova with a hold in the fifth and consolidating it all with a break thereafter. She closed out the second set with a winner followed by a double fault with the second serve causing her problems. Svitolina brought it all together only to fight for the win on deuce with Siniakova. The fourth seed double faulted for a second time in the game that hurt her chances giving the Czech a win and the serve going forward. When they went on break, Siniakova had the trainer called out to evaluate an issue with a soreness in her leg causing her to leave the court for a time.
When she returned, the Czech played to stay alive once more but was cold giving Svitolina three set points. Siniakova saved every one of them to force deuce but couldn’t hang on as the Ukrainian won her way to a third set after 50 minutes. She started to reel in break points but it was a long road to recovery as her final chance to outduel Siniakova was at hand in the third.
Svitolina held with some tough moments to lead the final set as unforced errors began to climb back into the Czech’s game. She double faulted in the second and showed struggle that Svitolina immediately attacked. It gave her a 2-0 hold where another hold made it three straight and Siniakova in danger with her game missing. She brought an effort together in the fourth trying not to go down a break with the force of deuce with Svitolina. A sixth double fault didn’t help which saw Svitolina convert for the double break.
The fight to respond strongly was apparent in Siniakova who battled to end the shutout and get a win for herself. She gave herself a chance on deuce where a second break point attempt came with Svitolina ending the difficult rally with a return into the net. Pressure was helping out the 21-year-old as the fourth seed couldn’t stay in the rallies on deuce once again. Unforced errors handed Svitolina a break as Siniakova stumbled to make it 5-1 and the ball in hand for the Ukrainian to serve for the match. She held off Siniakova in the seventh that was enabled her the opportunity for the third round ending 2 hours and 12 minutes.
I thought I was gonna melt today,” Svitolina joked during her on court interview. “It’s not easy and I was struggling a bit and can’t wait for an ice bath.” “She was playing great in the first set,” she said about Siniakova. “I gave her a break and a chance to dominate and that it was my mistake so next time there will be more focus.”
Focus would be key when she faced the youngest competitor Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine on Friday. The 15-year-old who is the reigning Australian Open junior champion no doubt looked up to her countrywoman but would be a true challenge.
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