Victoria Azarenka came back from one set down to edge two-time defending champion Elina Svitolina 4-6 6-1 7-5 after 2 hours and 14 minutes in a rain-delayed match to reach the third round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Azarenka has improved her winning record to 3-0 in her head-to-head matches against Svitolina.
Svitolina, who suffered from a knee injury earlier this year, was looking to become the first woman to win three titles in a row in the Eternal city since Conchita Martinez from 1993 to 1996.
Both players traded breaks at the start of the opening set. Svitolina earned the first break in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Azarenka broke straight back in the fifth game for 2-3 and held her service game to draw level to 3-3. Azarenka and Svitolina earned a total of five break points in the next two games, but neither was able to convert their chances. Svitolina earned another break in the final game to clinch the opening set 6-4.
The match was interrupted for the first time after Azarenka earned an early break to take a 1-0 lead thanks to double faults from Svitolina.
After the match resumed a few minutes later Svitolina broke straight back. Azarenka got another break to build up a 4-1 lead. The match was interrupted for the second time for over an hour. Both players returned to the court after 10.30 in the evening in a chilly evening. Azarenka won her fifth consecutive game in the seventh game with a break at love.
Svitolina came back by breaking twice to take a 3-0 lead at the start of the decisive set. Five consecutive breaks of serve followed. Svitolina broke serve at 15 earning a match point at 5-2 and served for it at 5-3, but Azarenka fought back by winning five consecutive games from 2-5 to claim the third set 7-5 after 2 hours and 15 minutes.
“It was such a dramatic match. It was a lot of breaks and stuff with the rain, and that was quite difficult to deal with, but I am happy I was able to justblock it out, play my game, survive the match point, and then pick it up from there to play great tennis”, said Azarenka in the post match interview.
