Elina Svitolina rallies late to down Pavlyuchenkova

Elina Svitolina clenches her fist during a comeback that gave her a three set win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the US Open. 

Elina Svitolina found the energy to keep fighting, coming through to make the third round of the US Open on Thursday. Anastasia Pavlyunchenkova played terrific through the first set, but felt the challenges of her opponent’s rally at Louis Armstrong Stadium, losing 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

The two played for the sixth time, with the tennis vet holding the series lead even after Svitolina clinched her second win in Rome three years ago. On the hard courts, the 32-year-old had more wins against the Ukrainian, giving her a chance to do the same in New York. The 26th seed dominated her opening-round match against Anna Lena Friedsam but knew that her history with Pavlyunchenkova was within reach of changing for the better.

She went after the 32-year-old’s service, but let her grip on a break chance slip out of her hands. When it came time for her to match up, Svitolina ran to a 40-0 run fast and held Pavlyunchenkova to a point. The two continued to hold serve on each other, but at times saw double faults from the players.

Reaching the business end of the set, Svitolina leveled at five-all to keep her efforts alive and take the first. Pavlyunchenkova refused to give it to her, holding in the 11th and taking advantage of her errors from the Ukrainian to reach set point. The 32-year-old produced two more before it was enough to take the set 7-5 in one hour and two minutes. The final game was the only game to go down as a break for Svitolina, who only struggled with the serve in the set.

The two continued their slow pace, playing the first two games on serve through 10 minutes. They held serve through four, but the efforts for the 28-year-old to gain a break were challenging. After leveling the score, Svitolina finally got the edge on Pavlyunchenkova in a comeback to deuce and take the AD point. Despite her battle in the fifth, backing it up didn’t go as planned, with double faults rattling her offense. Pavlyunchenkova got the break to love to level at three-all, continuing a long march to the end.

A third consecutive break of serve went the way of Svitolina, who had the lead back for the second time. It set off a boost of energy that worked into her service game and hold, taking a 5-3 stance. Pavlyunchenkova answered on serve to sit a game down, keeping the match within reach. It was the Ukrainian getting the job done, firing two aces on serve in the tenth. Reaching set point, the 28-year-old had three chances and blew every one of them.

Despite all the free points lost, Pavlyunchenkova gave her another with a long return to send them the distance after 52 minutes. The first serve was nearly flawless for the 26th seed, but her second serve was most dismal. The 32-year-old produced plenty of breakpoints to maintain her status as a player to go for it all.

Pavlyunchenkova served to open the deciding set but faced a determined Svitolina, who turned the tables to break her. She fed off another energizing success and held firm to go into the third and score the double break. With her biggest lead of the match, the 26th seed didn’t get a clean service through in the fourth but denied Pavlyunchenkova any breakpoints on deuce. The 32-year-old achieved a victory in the set, but it was an uphill climb with the Ukrainian two games away.

Pavlyunchenkova played a good strategy, finishing the sixth with great positioning at the net to answer every shot and break. She denied a break back and sat a game from leveling the 26th seed, carrying a winning streak. At 30-all in the eighth, Svitolina set up two monster winners to hold serve and cap off her opponent, who served to stay alive. The 26th seed got ambitious on returns, watching too many fall wide of the court. Pavlyunchenkova took the win on a long ball, leaving her opponent to finish it herself.

Two loose points came back as errors by Pavlyunchenkova on the next two. She laid down an ace but couldn’t get the match point down. On deuce, she produced two match points, setting up the third, which did the trick on an ace, ending a 2 hour and 47 minute tussle.

“It was a tough match today,” Svitolina said during her post-match interview. “I didn’t play so well today, and it was up and down.” When asked about the change in her game, the Ukrainian explained the strategy of her coach's tactics. “I try to be a little more aggressive and I’m not young anymore, so I have to hit a bit stronger to run less, but I’m trusting my physical condition and really happy I’m back playing.”

She’ll await the winner between Jessica Pegula and Patricia Tig on Saturday. “I played Jess a couple of times,” she said. “Played in Washington, had an extremely good match there, so If she wins it is gonna be amazing. If it’s gonna be Tig, it’s gonna be another challenge in the third round so I’m gonna try to prepare and recover from today and I’m happy that I could win this match today.”

Lin Zhu upsets Azarenka at US Open

Victoria Azarenka struggled with the forehand during her second round defeat to Lin Zhu at the US Open

Lin Zhu wanted to make a statement for her loss at the Australian Open, doing so in fine fashion at the US Open on Wednesday. The 29-year-old stayed tight, while errors from Victoria Azarenka were too much in a 6-3, 6-3 score line on Grandstand court at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center.

The two met in the round of 16 at this year’s Australian Open, with the Chinese youngster going three sets against the former world number one. Though Azarenka got out of that challenge, she prepared to expect the same amount of fight against Zhu in the second round. The world number 44 upset Mayar Sherif in straight sets Monday, equaling her personal best of 2019. Defeating the Egyptian marked her seventh top-50 win this season, hungry enough to make it eight against the three-time finalist.

She got into a long rally for the first point, but a return crosscourt fell wide of the tramlines for Zhu. She made a quick adjustment, painted the corners, and took the break off Azarenka to lead. Zhu consolidated the break making very few errors on serve and reminding her opponent what to expect. The 18th seed answered on serve in the third from 0-40 down to force deuce and avoid the double break.

Despite her loss of a shutout, Zhu had great control of her offense and made it a difficult outing for Azarenka. The competition got heavy in the seventh just after the 18th seed forced deuce on serve. The two went through nine deuces where she managed to deny two breakpoints but struggled to close it out. Zhu opened the gap to a pair of games after eight, then went for the break, where Azarenka handed her the set on a double fault.

It was a 51-minute feat for the Chinese star, who had a near-perfect set, while unforced errors rattled 14 times from the 34-year-old. The second set got underway quickly, with Zhu on the ball, running the rallies. The 18th seed failed to capitalize on early chances and produced more errors from the forehand. Azarenka somehow held in the second, but the effort was short-lived as Zhu rushed through her service and broke the 34-year-old in the fourth. Zhu scored another service hold against the former world number one, sitting comfortably at 4-1.

Azarenka produced a positive game, but it was still an uphill battle sitting a set down. Zhu fed off the errors of Azarenka and coasted to a service hold. The 18th seed tied another service hold together, turning the table on Zhu to falter on her service for the match. Azarenka delivered challenges to the Chinese star, who watched two unanswered points slip by. A long ball from Azarenka handed Zhu a match point, but double-faulted, forcing deuce.

Breakpoint chances were coming for Azarenka, who played a 20-shot rally to gain her second attempt. Each time Zhu denied Azarenka her first break of the day but couldn’t bring up an AD point for the match herself. On her second attempt, Zhu watched Azarenka smash the return into the net, ending her singles run in 1 hour and 31 minutes.

Belinda Bencic makes round three in straight sets win over Miyazaki

Belinda Bencic had her eyes on the ball during the second round match of the US Open. 

Belinda Bencic faced an impressive rookie on the tour but pushed herself into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday. Yuriko Miyazaki had history against the 15th seed when they were kids and challenged through two sets only to fall 6-3, 6-3 on Court Five at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center.

The Swiss star had a comfortable finish to her opening round, giving up six games in her straight sets result. Being in gear set her up for another first-time meeting with the Brit, who did well in her US Open debut. She remains hot on a four-match streak, dropping one set so far. Still looking for a top 90 career win, Miyazaki would have a hard time expecting one against a resurgent Bencic.

The 15th seed opened service, closing her game fast with a point to Miyazaki. She applied the pressure against the Brit, forcing deuce and redirecting the ball for the AD point. She finished control of the point with a smash, gaining an early break. Bencic consolidated in the third, opening the gap wider on Miyazaki, who continued to wait for her first game win. Using her second serve, Miyazaki played through the points to beat the Swiss star in the fourth.

The 27-year-old scored her first point on Bencic’s first serve, but the 15th seed made it 4-1. Miyazaki notched another service in the sixth, slowing  Bencic, who struggled against the returns. The Swiss struggled to serve the seventh game, losing momentum while her opponent took another step closer. Serving for the set didn’t come any easy for the 15th seed, who recorded the first double fault of the match. She managed to rally back from 0-30, winning the next four to take the set in 44 minutes.

Miyazaki’s second serve was a push for her performance, but the first serve of Bencic held together to move her forward and a great handle on the pressure. She opened the second set breaking Miyazaki’s service and fought to contain service. The 15th seed backed up the break and achieved the double break for a 3-0 lead. Miyazaki answered back in the fourth, crushing Bencic’s second serve shots to produce a break of the 15th seed. The 27-year-old hadn’t held serve in the set, and in the fifth, she got on the board causing Bencic to throw her racket in frustration.

Despite losing the chance for a shutout, Bencic raged to hold serve in the sixth, returning a two-game buffer. She battled the serve of Miyazaki, but the forehand let her down on control of the lead. The Brit took care of it after a few deuces to hold and stay within reach of the Swiss. Bencic remained firm on serve, taking the important step to play for the match. The 15th seed jumped ahead on the scoreboard until an error got Miyazaki into it. She erred back, giving Bencic a match point, but watched a mishit from the Swiss negate that.

Two chances were left for the 26-year-old and a final error from Miyazaki into the net made Bencic the first player to make the round of 32 after 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Svitolina cruises to victory in straight sets over Friedsam

Elina Svitolina waves to the crowd after her first-round match against Anna-Lena Friedsam at the US Open. 

Elina Svitolina kept laser-focused to come through in spectacular fashion at the US Open on Tuesday. Anna Lena Friedsam was no match for the tactics the Ukrainian brought to court 17, winning 6-3, 6-1 in just under an hour at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It was the fifth opening victory in a row for Svitolina, who played in her sixth tournament since becoming a mother. 

The two met for the first time, allowing the Ukrainian to have another solid opening to her strongest major of the year. Since her return from maternity five months ago, Svitolina gained the attention of the tennis world, making it to the semifinal of Wimbledon and quarterfinals at Roland Garros and Washington DC. She took time off to prepare for the Open so that she could vie for a second-week spot for the fifth year in a row. The German hasn’t been at her best, dealing with injuries over the last six years. Her 6-10 record in first-round slams, leaves her with a slim chance to upset the 26th seed.

She opened the service with a couple of drop shots that beat the 28-year-old. Svitolina struck back staying balanced to recover the deficit and force deuce. Friedsam captured the AD point to avoid producing a break opportunity on serve. Svitolina served the German to love, coming out hot with the forehand. Friedsam didn’t get clean through the third but held serve to make things clear to her opponent. The Ukrainian didn’t let Friedsam’s game bother her and put together a second straight love service.

In the fifth, the 26th seed pushed Friedsam to hit another ball, bringing up her first breakpoint chance. The German denied her the first, but the Ukrainian pressed on her second to gain the lead at 3-2. She comfortably backed up the break on serve to open the gap on Friedsam, ready to hunt down more. Despite struggling to get to the balls near the net, the German avoided the double break, putting herself back in reach after seven games.

Svitolina had yet to drop a service game, inching herself closer to the set, with Friedsam playing to stay in it. The German got into place for game point, but Svitolina ravaged back to force deuce. It didn’t take her long to have set point in place, smacking a winning lob while at the net to finish the first in 35 minutes. It was the 11th winner posted in the set, showing her dominant form against Friedsam, who had four but notched 12 total errors and a rough second serve.

Svitolina jumped off her seat and got back to work to begin the second set, allowing Friedsam to get another break point opportunity. The Ukrainian forced deuce and didn’t give another break point to clear the service. She attacked the German at the body, taking the second game, and flew to a 5-0 run, winning nine of the next ten points.

Friedsam was all but out, yet found a way to serve Svitolina to love in the sixth, avoiding the shutout. The 28-year-old didn’t mind missing the flawless victory, serving the German to love in the seventh. It was a 59-minute mission accomplished for the 26th seed, who fired off 26 winners and made only four unforced errors in the match.

Caroline Wozniacki defeats rookie in US Open return

Caroline Wozniacki waves to the crowd in her return to the US Open. 

Caroline Wozniacki did well in her return to the US Open Monday night. Returning to Louis Armstrong Stadium was no problem for the former world number one, who handled her first major back against Tatiana Prozorova to win 6-3, 6-2 at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center.

It marked the first match in a major for the Dane since the Australian Open three years ago when she retired. She returned to Montreal and Cincinnati, not making it deep into those tournaments, but was more than prepared to be back in comfortable surroundings. Prozorova made her major debut and got into the top 200 two months ago. Facing one of the biggest names in tennis was a big moment for Prozorova but also a nerve-wracking one.

Wozniacki suffered a break when it was her time to serve in the second but had a break in hand to start. She got into gear, with a serve to love in the fourth, and another in the sixth. By the end of the set, Wozniacki had three breaks of serve on Prozorova, completing the first in 39 minutes.

The second stretched out further as the competition from Prozorova grew. She challenged the Dane in the opening game, forcing deuce, but gained no break chances. She stopped two in the second game before holding serve on the first deuce. The 33-year-old struggled in the third but kept it together to contain the service. She finally got a grip of the second and tallied a break against Prozorova. By the time the match closed in, the Dane had a double break in hand and was broken back.

Wozniacki delivered the final blow in the eighth, gaining a breakpoint for the match to end in 1 hour and 22 minutes.

Jelena Ostapenko goes three to win opening round at US Open

Jelena Ostapenko went to three sets but came out a winner at the US Open Monday night. The 20th seed had a rough second set, but turned it around in the final set with Jasmine Paolini to win 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 on Court 12 at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. The Latvian had six beautiful aces but numerous double faults and errors.

The Italian came into her fourth appearance in the year’s final major, holding a previous victory over her opponent’s head. Though it came nine years ago, Paolini needed the notion to help her with a 4-11 record in first-round majors against top 20 players. Ostapenko won two matches in her last three tournaments, leaving her vulnerable to an early exit. The Latvian did make the quarterfinal in the three previous majors this season, but her opponent put in a lot more time on the hard courts since the grass court season ended. In Cincinnati, Paolini played six matches before losing in the quarterfinal, giving her a lot of momentum to make a strong run in New York.

Ostapenko made her mark to begin the set despite being forced to deuce. The 20th seed produced two breakpoints before notching the break for a two-game lead on Paolini. Back on serve in the third, the Latvian fired winners and an ace for a 40-0 run before capping it with a crosscourt winner. The Italian responded with a serve to love in the fourth and later made it a two-game margin after her service in the sixth.

Ostapenko stopped Paolini from gaining another victory, holding the seventh and breaking her in the eighth to take the set. It was a 30-minute run for the 20th seed, who had the most winners but also errors with 16. The Italian’s second serve got her into the competition late, but consistency had to come in order to make a threat.

She started the second set, breaking Ostapenko, but suffered a break back to love by the 20th seed. The Italian brushed off the loss of serve, clinching the double break and backing it up on serve in the fourth. The double faults were rolling in for Ostapenko, notching six in the set after five games. She managed to overcome her struggles and force deuce to contain the service. Paolini kept the heat on the 20th seed, winning on serve to build up confidence in her offense that was leading the way.

Ostapenko was fighting to dig back into her service game, but the Italian was all over her in the seventh. The two went five breaks until the 20th seed got the AD point clinched on a service winner. A break for the Latvian arrived in the eighth when Paolini suffered a double fault. She then made two errors from the backhand that brought Ostapenko level. Double faults continued to rattle the 26-year-old, notching two more to hand a break back to Paolini.

The Italian put her offense to work on serve and sealed up the second set in 47 minutes. While her service points rolled along fine, the double faults from Ostapenko broke hers apart. The same went for her return game, leaving her to remain in pieces or find a way to take control back.

She got into comeback mode right off the bat, holding the Italian back while on serve. Paolini followed suit, but the third set was going the way Ostapenko wanted. She contained the third easily  hunting down a chance of a break. Forcing errors on Paolini, the 20th seed almost had a shutout but let one slip. She dominated in the following two games, handling deuce in the fifth and allowing a point to the Italian in the sixth. The Latvian served for the match with the double break in hand but got into a 30-all tie. She fired two winners, with the last one cross-courting the forced error to end her night in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

It was another match filled with good points and bad for the 26-year-old, who had 54 winners to Paolini’s nine, but the 41 errors and 11 double faults were a lot to have had the finish the 20th seed produced. She’ll need to tone it down facing the winner between Alize Corner or Elina Avanesyan in the second round.

Belinda Bencic puts the brakes on Kamilla Rakhimova at US Open

Belinda Bencic celebrated a point won during her first round match at the US Open. 

Belinda Bencic had a late slip of control occur late, but held it together for a straight-sets win at the US Open. Kamilla Rakhimova almost had a third set on the horizon against the 15th seed but couldn’t keep her momentum up, losing 6-2, 6-4 on Court 7 at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It was a match full of errors that changed the tide of control in their opening-round match.

The Swiss entered her eighth time at the US Open, having a strong output in Montreal and Washington DC. Her two quarterfinals in those cities left her, with a chance to make the second week. Having not faced Rakhimova before left no worries for the 15th seed, who could handle a three-setter but would prefer to close out the first round early. Taking time off after her first-round loss in Cincinnati was not a bad move for the 26-year-old, who had the best success at the major in her career.

She started the match behind on the scoreboard but forced deuce on Rakhimova’s service. After a few breaks, the Swiss star gained the AD point twice and put a break in her pocket. Bencic backed up the break, with an easy service game, leading the 22-year-old. The Swiss star denied anything from Rakhimova in the third, breaking her to love for a commanding 3-0 lead.

Rakhimova broke back to love in the fourth, but the battle to contain service was a tough challenge. The 15th seed traded points in the fifth, reaching another breakpoint opportunity. She earned it on a double fault from the 22-year-old, regaining her three-game gap. Bencic held the sixth game, dealing with a challenge on deuce from Rakhimova. She earned a shot at playing for the set on her opponent’s service but fell behind 0-40. Bencic gained two points on errors from the 22-year-old, then forced deuce on a clean forehand crosscourt.

Rakhimova got a grip on the AD point and scored another win against Bencic on an ace down the T. Sitting three games up, the Swiss star served to close out the first but had to come back from 15-40 down to force deuce. After saving a breakpoint, Bencic clinched set point and sealed the match lead after 43 minutes. Both players had 13 errors each, but the offense from Bencic was the strongest on both the first and second serves.

Rakhimova knew she couldn’t let the second go the way of the first and served to love to make a statement. Bencic didn’t let that bother her but was forced to fight her way into control on serve in the second. She worked herself into the third to break and backed it up on serve in the fourth. She clinched the double break for a 4-1 lead, inching closer to victory. Rakhimova had a break to love shot in the sixth, but Bencic fought to save every breakpoint.

It was a short stint for the Swiss star, who clinched the AD point and was up 5-1. The 22-year-old served to stay in the match, allowing Bencic a single point en route to a service hold. She added a break to her momentum, sitting two games from threatening the 15th seed. Rakhimova put Bencic on the ropes, winning on serve in the ninth.

Knowing she couldn’t let a third set come to fruition, the Swiss star held her opponent back and made good of the second match point. A forehand error from Rakhimova gave Bencic a sign of relief, ending what could have been a drama-filled match in 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Azarenka cruises to straight sets win over Ferro at US Open

Victoria Azarenka celebates her first-round win over Fiona Ferro at the US Open. 

Victoria Azarenka took care of business in her classic style at the US Open on Monday. The former world number one handled her opening round against Fiona Ferro in a 6-1, 6-2 result at Louis Armstrong Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center.

The 34-year-old made her 16th appearance in Flushing Meadows, hoping to brush off a rough performance in the second half of the hard court season. The former world number one failed to make the second round in tournaments, marking her 11th of 12 in Cincinnati last week. 

Despite being a three-time finalist, Azarenka looked to handle Ferro, who gained a wild card to enter the main draw. The Frenchwoman carried a 7-10 record in first-round majors but won over 40 matches this season in WTA and ITF events. In their first meeting, the 26-year-old looked to make another good impression like she did against Iga Swiatek one year ago.

Azarenka conducted a strong start to the match, taking her time to smash the ball and positioning well on the court for the break. Ferro broke back in the second, but the 18th seed regained charge of the scoreboard on a second break of serve. Picking up the pace, Azarenka held serve in the fourth while Ferro continued to play the ball, but made no major redirects to challenge the former world number one.

It was 4-1 for the 34-year-old, who found the game going to deuce on a couple of overplayed shots. She handled the situation and remained focused to lead 5-1 after overcoming the 0-40 deficit against Ferro. She went after the Frenchwoman on serve to blast the winners and get the set over and done with after 42 minutes. Azarenka notched 18 winners in total and dominated near the net with 8 of 11 points won.

She rolled into the second set, controlling the pace with Ferro, who couldn’t find a way to dig in. Before the Frenchwoman realized what happened, four games swept by, all going in Azarenka’s favor. The 26-year-old was down a double break, broke back in the fifth, and looked to consolidate in the sixth. She moved into the court and fired backhands down the line that allowed her to seal up the serve. 

Azarenka took care of her service game in the seventh, putting the pressure on Ferro to hold serve or give up the match.The 18th seed put together an impressive finish against Ferro, watching her opponent hit a return long of the corner baseline to cap the match in 1 hour and 16 minutes.

"I was so nervous before the match," said Azarenka during her on-court interview. "It's the last slam of the year, and New York is always one of my favorite places to play, opening the tournament here, I was very nervous and wanted to do well, and I was glad I was able to start strong and don't take my foot off the gas today."

Belinda Bencic strengthens late to beat Petra Kvitova in three sets

Belinda Bencic in action during her third round match at the Omnium Banque Nationale in Montreal. 

Belinda Bencic rode through a wave of obstacles but came out the winner at the Omnium Banque Nationale Friday. The 12th seed suffered an injury to her ankle, but Petra Kvitova had enough problems with her attack on the returns losing 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-1 on Court Rogers at IGA stadium. It was a match of rain delays and medical timeouts for each player, but the 12th seed remained stronger by the match's end.

Their seventh meeting came short of a decade from when they first met. Bencic and Kvitova met four times in 2019, from two near the start of the season to its conclusion. Each split the series of matches, waiting four years to meet again. Bencic’s debut in Montreal was a long time coming, but her effort was successful.

After her win over Bronzetti, her battle with Alycia Parks went longer than expected. Despite going three sets, she had a day of rest before facing the veteran Czech. Kvitova went the distance against Camila Giorgi, going to 1 AM to get the job done. With only one match under her belt, the fight for a spot in the quarterfinal against the Swiss star would be a heavy competition.

Bencic earned the honor to serve first and kept Kvitova back in the opening game. The seventh seed followed suit and took advantage of her opponent's sudden double faults in the third. The AD point came to Kvitova, where she captured the break over the 12th seed for a 2-1 lead. During the sit-down, Bencic showed signs of agony in her leg but tolerated it in the fourth. She got ahead on the score, but Kvitova was determined to even the score and force deuce. It took her a break to gain the AD point and consolidate for a two-game buffer.

Bencic stayed close, scoring an important service in the fifth and avoiding a double break. She recovered the ground lost to level and make it a point to take the lead away. They went to deuce in the seventh on the Swiss service, where the 26-year-old held to go up 4-3. Kvitova was ferocious on serve in the eighth, serving Bencic to love to even the score. They continued in a deadlock, with the Swiss star holding the bar high for Kvitova to clear. In the 12th, she did just that to force a tiebreak with the 12th seed.

Bencic etched the first point, but Kvitova took a grip of the reigns and tallied three straight points her way. The 26-year-old tallied two more, but the Czech marched on to reach set point and take the first 7-3 after one hour and nine minutes. Kvitova had a strong output from her offense, recording 17 winners and 81 percent of first-serve points won. Both had a number of unforced errors, but Bencic struggled from the second serve dependence.

The Swiss made a surprising statement, breaking Kvitova to open the second set, but consolidating proved tough. Bencic had a moment of frustration after double-faulting, slamming her racket to the ground. She battled through six breaks until the AD point was captured. Kvitova had a lot to be mad about, failing on eight of nine break points blown. On serve in the third, she clinched the service but struggled to develop breakpoint chances.

They spanned five games, with Bencic remaining ahead on the count of denying Kvitova breakpoint opportunities. At 5-3, the 12th seed handled Kvitova’s service, blowing through the game for the easy break that forced them to a decider. It was a 55-minute achievement for the 26-year-old, who got into focus and a shot at besting her opponent at the business end of the match.

Bencic kept the game-winners going, taking the service game in the first. As they played the second, the Swiss star twisted her right leg at the ankle, falling down in pain, but managed to rise on her own power. The trainer arrived to analyze the situation, taking a three-minute medical timeout. After getting her ankle taped up, they resumed the second which Bencic went on to win.

The 12th seed did well on serve in the third, blasting the shots at Kvitova, who struggled to be a true threat. After a three-game slide, Kvitova marked her first win of the deciding set before she took a medical timeout to deal with an issue. The rain fell on the court during that timeout, but they resumed play. Bencic had a 4-1 commanding lead, gaining ground in the sixth to vie for a break. The 26-year-old got it, causing Kvitova to throw her racket after another frustrating game lost.

Bencic served for the match in the seventh, giving no points to the Czech to earn the shutout and the victory after a dramatic 2-hour and 57-minute roller coaster. The day was not over for the Swiss star, as she needed to prepare for her quarterfinal match against Ludmila Samsonova in less than four hours.

Jessica Pegula punches ticket to semis after threet set win over Svitolina

Jessica Pegula clenches her fist during the quarterfinal against Elina Svitolina at the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington DC. 

Elina Svitolina gave it her best shot to stay close in order to threaten but came up short at the Mubadala Citi Open Friday. Jessica Pegula had a late start against the Ukrainian, who took the first set and surged to end a thrilling three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Stadium Court at the FitzGerald Tennis Center. The top seed dug her way through a close competition late in the match to earn her second semifinal in the nation’s capital.

The two met three times in 2021, where the American took two wins against the Ukrainian. Every one of their meetings came on the hard courts where Pegula dispatched Svitolina at the Australian Open and Indian Wells. The 29-year-old has more experience in the late stages of the tournament, having won it in singles and doubles. The surging 28-year-old remained hot after her victory against Daria Kasatkina on Wednesday. In the hope of tying the series against Pegula, Svitolina needed her best to continue marching her toward success.

The two opened the match serving well against one another, but Pegula led the way on service holds through three games. Svitolina kept in touch with the American, finding another gear to break the top seed in the fifth. She consolidated for a 4-2 lead, only to witness Pegula get on track with a second love service. The Ukrainian earned free points in the eighth, as the Buffalo native erred to send her to the bench to switch rackets. Pegula couldn’t turn it around in time, hitting a point long to make it 5-3 for the 28-year-old.

The American held the ninth to stay in touch with Svitolina, who still had room to finish off the set. The two battled for every point, but the last three went the way of the Ukrainian, who finished off the rallies with strong statements. She took care of set point to gain a leg up on Pegula after 37 minutes. The winners for the Ukrainian came late in the set, where she recorded four. Both played evenly on paper, but it was the first time that Svitolina led a match against Pegula.

The American started the second with a hold of serve that she wanted to be the cornerstone of her comeback. She resisted the challenges of the Ukrainian to break in the second, showing commitment to take charge. Back on serve in the third saw Pegula dictating the rallies and ball placement. Falling short of points production, Svitolina smacked a good return to get into the game. 

The result went in favor of the 29-year-old, who was on a mission to get even.Svitolina notched her first hold of serve, but the leverage remained with the American, who stepped up to a 4-1 grip. She inched her way towards the goal, playing through the holds of serve and the Ukrainian unwilling to go down on serve. She was left to watch Pegula work through her service game in the ninth, handling the pressure and closing out the set in 37 minutes.

Pegula improved on the first serve and outscored Svitolina 29-22. The Ukrainian had a hair more unforced errors that didn’t spell the change of pace, but the American carried a lot of momentum. The Buffalo native broke the 28-year-old, consolidating the second on serve. Svitolina denied her opponent a double break, but Pegula remained locked in, scoring another service. Svitolina stayed within reach of the American, containing her service in the fifth.

The top seed suffered a lapse on serve in the sixth, handing the Ukrainian a chance to break and level the score. Pegula fought back to force the first deuce of the match, making it a highly competitive situation. Saving five break points, the number one seed found an AD point to clutch and secured a two-game buffer. As they finished the eighth game, Pegula was still up two games, attempting to pressure the Ukrainian to falter on serve to stay in it.

Svitolina battled point after point to reach only to get in trouble at the net during an extra ball rally. A double fault opened the door for Pegula to dictate the next point for match point, scoring a lob just perfectly over the net. A long ball in the following point blew the clincher for Pegula, but a bounce off the net went in her favor for a second attempt. A thrilling rally ended with Svitolina forcing it back to deuce, gaining an AD point to secure the serve.

The tension was high for both players as Pegula had one shot to end the match on serve or go further than she wished. Svitolina put herself in breakpoint position in the tenth game but returned the ball too hard. The American smashed a winning return for a third match point, which sealed the deal on a forced error from Svitolina, ending in a thriller after two hours and eight minutes.  

Elina Svitolina wins an easy straight sets against Daria Kasatkina at the Mubadala Citi Open

Elina Svitolina celebrates her second round win over Daria Kasatkina at the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington DC. 

Elina Svitolina notched another one at the Mubadala Citi Open Wednesday. The 28-year-old wildcard notched her eighth victory against Daria Kasatkina, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 on Stadium Court at the FitzGerald Tennis Center. Bringing a heavy momentum of offense allowed her to dictate a strong finish to her second match in the nation’s capital.

The Ukrainian got the job done for a second time against Victoria Azarenka Monday, dispatching the birthday girl in straight sets. It was her second consecutive match win against the former world number one and one to begin her debut. Kasatkina also made good of her first tournament run in Washington, defeating Elise Mertens in straight sets.

She and Svitolina met seven times, with the former world number three winning every one of them. The wildcard had a match win with the 26-year-old at Roland Garros on her way to a quarterfinal there. With the new mom on a hot streak, she’ll try to keep the pressure on her opponent and clinch a quarterfinal spot.

Kasatkina served well to open the match, giving Svitolina a point before holding it. She went after her opponent’s service, forcing the second game to deuce, but came up short of a break. The third was the most competitive, with the players going two breaks before the 26-year-old held. Svitolina leveled the score after the fourth, then went back to attacking Kasatkina’s center to score the break.

The 28-year-old worked hard to consolidate the break on serve, going a break, before containing the sixth. A newfound streak came to the Ukrainian, scoring the double break against Kasatkina marking her third straight win. Serving for the set, the wild card fell behind on serve, giving the fifth seed break points.

A forehand winner saved one then a forced error brought the margin to one. A crosscourt return for Kasatkina went wide, forcing deuce for the 28-year-old. Svitolina blew her chance for a set point, going five combined breaks until her second attempt gave her the first set after 46 minutes. Both racked up 32 errors, with Kasatkina tallying 18 of them. Winners were aplenty between the players, but the momentum stood high for Svitolina.

She came into the second set, etching a break from her opponent, building together another lengthy winning streak. By the fourth game, she had a double break in hand, sitting halfway from victory. The Ukrainian unleashed the forehand to secure a 4-0 lead. Kasatkina tried to contain a service game in the set going two breaks to deny a second attempt by Svitolina and hold the fifth.

With one game in her pocket, Kasatkina challenged the Ukrainian on serve for the sixth. It became the longest battle of the match, going to deuce ten times. After saving four break points, Svitolina got through the challenges to lead 5-1 and play for the match. 

The fifth seed forced errors from Svitolina to stay in the set and try to hold her opponent from closing out the day. She opened the service with two straight points, giving up a pair and putting herself in place for a match point. The Ukrainian sealed the victory in 1 hour and 37 minutes, scoring a second serve that came back long from the fifth seed.

As she entered the quarterfinal, the 28-year-old awaited whether she would face Americans Jessica Pegula or Payton Stearns on Friday.