In her comeback from injury, Elina Svitolina defeated Emma Raducanu 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 in the second round of the ASB Classic in Auckland. After having surgery on both her wrists and ankles, the former British No. 1 defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the opening round. She also led the second seed in the first set until Svitolina rallied to win and move on to the third round.
As she continues to get ready for the Australian Open, she will play Marie Bouzkova in the tournament’s quarterfinals.
When Raducanu went up 5-1, it appeared as though she would cruise to a one-set victory, but Svitolina rallied to force an improbable tie-break, in which Raducanu would ultimately prevail. The 2021 US Open champion broke back, and her serve was flawless as the game went into a tie-break for the second time, despite the Ukrainian breaking Raducanu early in the second set in an attempt to equalize the scores.
The world No. 25 player came back, winning six straight points to force a decisive set. The Brit had the upper hand in the tiebreak after breaking Svitolina twice in the first set. The 21-year-old was broken early in the third set, and Svitolina grabbed control of the match by winning the next three games to take a 5-0 lead. The last set proved to be too much for the player.
In the sixth game, Raducanu avoided the bagel by using a hold of service, but Svitolina quickly sealed an easy victory.
Svitolina declared on the court following the match, “It was a great match from both of us.” Emma performed brilliantly in the contest, despite the physical challenges. I’m hoping to feel better by tomorrow so I can be prepared and receive some help from you all.
They had two excellent games, and they performed admirably against Emma. I’m pleased with how I handled stressful situations, and the year is off to a really wonderful start.
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