No. 5 seed and 2017 Italian Open champion Elina Svitolina overcame an inconsistent performance Monday on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Making 40 unforced errors and going down 2-5 in the final set, Svitolina won 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 over qualifier Petra Martic.
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Martic got the first break of the match after Svitolina double-faulted and missed three forehands, but Svitolina broke back immediately afterward at 15, evening the first set at 3-3.
But the Ukrainian then double-faulted a second break to Martic, giving her a 3-4 lead. Martic, in her next service game, sliced an ace, holding to 15 for 5-3.
Svitolina then held to 15 herself, but it in the end, Martic maintained her lead to take the first frame 6-4.
When Martic said she wasn't ready to deal with a deep GS run the first time, I believe her.
When she said she's ready now, I believe her.
— Victoria Chiesa (@vrcsports) June 5, 2017
Svitlolina’s first game of the second set was awful; she netted three groundstrokes and then got passed to be broken at love. But she then broke back at 30, making it 1-1.
In the game that followed, Svitolina saved two break points to go up 2-1 and keep the set on serve. The players then exchanged holds, and down 2-3, Martic lost her serve by missing a backhand volley long. But Svitolina failed to consolidate, letting a forehand sail long for 4-3.
Svitloina, though, retaliated by breaking back to 30 to go up 5-3 and serve for the set. She then secured the set by holding to 15 on a backhand winner for 6-3.
Elina #Svitolina levels at 4-6 6-3 with Petra #Martic.
One set shootout to see who plays #Halep in the QFs. #RG17
— Abigail Johnson (@abigailtennis) June 5, 2017
Martic opened the final set by holding to love. 2 games later, she had a break point, but lost it by missing a forehand into the net. Svitolina went on to hold for 2-2.
At 2-3, a string of Svitolina mistakes gave Martic a 4-2 lead with new balls in hand. Martic held to love for 5-2.
It's looming even larger. Petra Martic is just one game away from scoring a major upset and ousting Elina Svitolina. 5-2 in the 3rd. #RG17
— René Denfeld (@Renestance) June 5, 2017
Martic later, serving for the match at 5-3, got broken at 30, putting the deciding set back on serve at 5-4. Svitolina then held to 15 and broke at love for a 6-5 advantage and the opportunity to serve for the match.
Martic since more than two games now is just not hitting the ball anymore. Svitolina can have hope again.
— Carole Bouchard 💜💛 (@carole_bouchard) June 5, 2017
Svitolina managed to hold to 15, winning on her second match point when Martic netted a backhand slice.
In the quarterfinals, Svitolina will face No. 3 seed Simona Halep, who earlier in the day bested 21st seed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 6-1. Svitolina defeated Halep in the Italian Open final 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
“We played in Rome in the final … She’s a great player. She brings intensity to the court. I will try and recover first and enjoy my victory today because it was very tense in the end,” Svitolina said of Halep after the match.
