Elina Svitolina didn’t have the pieces in check at the Wuhan Open Tuesday. She made some key mistakes that included a number of double faults that gave Aryna Sabalenka the green light to advance with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 win on Court One at the Wuhan Optical Valley Tennis Centre.
This was a first career meeting between the two top 20 players and an important moment for the Ukrainian after a three-week break from the courts. While she has kept in shape, the world number six would want to get back to her winning ways against the Belorussian who has been having a great season so far. The world number 20 went to the round of 16 at the US Open after winning the tournament in New Haven. With the tour moving into China and her first time in the dance, the 20-year-old would eye an upset and continue her march forward.
She started the match by laying down a crosscourt winner that began her service hold against Svitolina. She answered back in kind with a hold in the second that kept things level. They ran through four service games before a break point chance for Svitolina occurred in the fifth but was taken away by an ace from the Belorussian. She had to save another one but failed to keep the ball in landing long of the baseline that gave Svitolina the 3-2 lead.
The Ukrainian consolidated the break with a serve to love recording her first ace of the set while achieving a two-game gap. Sabalenka earned a mirrored success in the sixth to bring her within a game of turning things around completely. She did so after a chat with her coach that earned her a break in the eighth serving for a chance to lead.
When she took the ninth, Svitolina called down coach Nick Saviano who took over for Thierry Ascione. Despite his input on what to do to break down Sabalenka, the Belorussian went on to take the game and the set in 33 minutes. While both clearly suffered on the second serve, it was Sabalenka who was strongest with the forehand scoring 17 of 21 for points.
She once again started the set with a good hold followed by a struggling fight for Svitolina to contain her service game. After some efforts, the mission was completed by the 24-year-old to keep the 20-year-old in her sight. Sabalenka kept the heat on Svitolina to falter but she refused to go down at the request of anyone but herself. She got the fifth locked down for a break before trying to widen the gap for herself. She did so with a key hold that gave her momentum in the sixth to try and etch out a third set into play.
Sabalenka tried with all her energy to hold off Svitolina but it was becoming clear that the Ukrainian wanted another chance to contain the match. After another chat with Saviano, Svitolina served for the set but went to deuce as she lost two set points. She kept it together through three breaks capturing the necessary point to force a decider.
Getting dug in was another story as Sabalenka conducted herself to win the first game that led Svitolina in the wrong direction. She began to rack up double faults that easily gave the young Belorussian room to maneuver in more ways than one. When she committed her third of the set it was a four-game runaway for Sabalenka who was breezing with a solid offense. She added a third straight service hold that put Svitolina on the edge of earning another bagel this season. She denied Sabalenka the honor of getting one in the sixth but earned a chance to serve out the set herself. Despite playing on deuce, the 20-year-old succeeded in closing out the match on the AD point that beat Svitolina in 1 hour and 52 minutes.
With another huge defeat of a top ten player under her belt, she’ll take all her momentum to face the winner between Sofia Kenin and Julia Goerges in the round of 16.
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