Ukrainian Svitolina dominates "neutral" Kudermetova to reach Australian Open fourth round
Photo: Reuters
Elina Svitolina confidently moved past the fourth round of the season's first Grand Slam event—the Australian Open in Melbourne. The Ukrainian player left no chance for her opponent, the "neutral" [actually Russian – ed.] Veronika Kudermetova, and secured the win in straight sets (6-4, 6-1).
RBC-Ukraine reports this, referring to the result of the match.
The match against Kudermetova marked Elina's ninth encounter with a Russian opponent since the start of the full-scale invasion, and the Ukrainian has come out on top in every match.
The match lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes. Elina made an impressive comeback from a 1-4 deficit in the first set by winning five consecutive games.
After that, in the second set, the Ukrainian defeated her opponent with a score of 6:1.
In a flash interview on the court, the Ukrainian tennis player noted that her "fighting spirit, which reflects the Ukrainian character," helped her turn the tide of the match against Kudermetova.
Later, at a press conference, she noted that she has "additional motivation" in games against Russian tennis players.
"I don't do anything differently when I play against Russians. I just feel that my spirit is different; I put all my energy into it. If I don't win, I will almost die on the court. My associations with this country are very heavy and painful for my heart. Therefore, of course, I have additional motivation," journalist José Morgado reports Svitolina's words on his X.
She also reminded the world media that "now is a tough time for Ukraine."
"The war has been going on for almost three years, and every Ukrainian carries this heavy burden on their shoulders every day. I need to find the strength to win matches and bring at least a little joy, at least a small victory, to our people. I feel responsible for this…
It seems that sometimes people forget that the war is ongoing and that we still need help. It is essential for me to show resilience, to show that I am ready to fight, no matter what, and to represent this spirit," she said.
Elina also spoke about the new US President, Donald Trump, on whom the further development of events on the front largely depends.
"I think he needs to be given time to show himself. This is a difficult situation. There is a lot of talk now about how everything will be, whether he can end the war in a few days or not. We can discuss this for hours, but in reality, no one knows what will happen. We are just patiently waiting for this moment," the athlete said.
In the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, Svitolina will play against American Madison Keys, who defeated Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina. This will be the third quarterfinal in the Ukrainian's career at the Australian Open level.
On the way to the 1/8 finals, Svitolina staged a comeback to defeat the world No. 4 player.
For reference:
According to Rubryka, Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina kicked off the 2024 Olympic Games with a win against Japan's Moyuka Uchijima, the world's 66th-ranked player. She also secured a determined victory over an American opponent, advancing to the round of 16 at the 2024 Olympics.
Top Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina got married in July 2021. She tied the knot with French tennis player Gael Monfils.
Solutions from Ukraine: Nova Post and tennis player Elina Svitolina launch Play for Ukraine campaign
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina defeats top-ranked player to reach Wimbledon semi-finals
Ukrainian athlete Svitolina wins tennis tournament in France, defeating Russian in final
