Victoria Azarenka breaks Elina Svitolina to pieces in straight sets

Victoria Azarenka was all over the ball during her third-round match with Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open. 

Victoria Azarenka stormed through the competition but had to work hard for it at the end on Friday. Elina Svitolina found the answers too late against the Belorussian who ran by herself in a 6-0, 6-2 result on Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park. It marked her biggest victory in the tournament since 2016.  

The Belorussian carried a 4 match winning streak against the Ukrainian, who didn’t look her best coming into the third round. Svitolina made the second week in Melbourne four times in her career, but in her last two matches, she didn’t play up to her personal standards. The 27-year-old had a struggle against Fiona Ferro and was almost out of the running before Harmony Tan had a strain she couldn’t handle. Major improvements had to come to the 15^th seed if she wanted to stop the two-time champion down under. 

Svitolina committed a double fault that opened the door for Azarenka to force deuce and take the early break. The Belorussian had a good opening but the sun became a problem that led to her first double fault. Another one was close to being committed but a return error from the 15^th seed clinched her the 2-0 lead. It was 3-0 on the rush from Svitolina, who suffered on errors because of it. Azarenka was again gifted another win trying to back up the double break achieved. 

It was more than easy for the 24^th seed as free points from Svitolina’s errors made it a serve to love. Azarenka’s baseline strategy paid off with her hard forehand shots being a key weapon that gave her a commanding 5-0 run. With the opportunity to bagel the Ukrainian, the 32-year-old put the pressure on her opponent, reached two set points, and watched a return land wide and long ending 25 quick minutes. It was one-way traffic with Azarenka serving 65 percent with six winners and four unforced errors. Svitolina had very little to answer for her being shut out but needed to have that change. 

Azarenka served to open the second and continued her winning ways with her seventh game. She made it eight by backing up the fourth break of Svitolina, who hadn’t found her mark for change. It came in the third on a very important hold which lit a fire under her. Her aggression forced Azarenka to get to deuce where it took her one break to get back on track and lead 3-1. While it was a loss of a chance to break, Svitolina dug into her service game and capped another to sit a game down in the set. 

Though her opponent made her way onto the scoreboard, it didn’t take away from her agenda which came in the shape of a serve to love in the sixth. Azarenka scored a break to love in the following game that took all the air out of the 15^th seed. The Belorussian served for the match but had challenges putting Svitolina away. The Ukrainian answered during the biggest moments, saving five match points. After eight breaks and six-match point attempts, Azarenka puts the match to rest on a return from Svitolina into the net. It was a one-hour and eight-minute run that watched a fight come in the end but Azarenka moved into the last 16. 

“I feel like I played really well tactically, not letting her into the game. She’s a great defender and a great competitor so I had to try to stay on top of her as much as possible and not let her breathe in a way and that was my goal and executed that well.” She’ll try to take all the good moments on the court while she awaits the winner between Jelena Ostapenko and Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday.