The number 5 seed had a slow start but finished strong in a straight sets win over an opponent she knew well.
Elina Svitolina is into the 4th round of the Australian Open after beating the number 26 seed and long time friend Yulia Putintseva 6-4, and 6-0. She improved her perfect record over Putintseva to 6-0 and fired 18 winners while the native of Kazakstan hit 32 unforced errors.
A tight first set
The number 5 seed didn’t get off to the best start as she opened the match on serve and faced pressure right away from the number 26 seed as she earned a break point right away.
Putintseva would break as Svitolina hit one of her 20 unforced errors in the match to give her opponent a 1-0 lead. The Kazak would hold serve to make it 2-0 before the Ukrainian had 4 chances to break to go back on serve and she would do just that earning her first break of serve with an outstanding forehand to make it 2-2.
Once again Svitolina struggled on serve and at 3-3 she would double fault to give Putintseva another breakpoint and she would break the following point with a great passing shot for the 4-3 lead.
The break didn’t last long as the number 5 seed went back on the attack looking to get the break back to go back on serve which she did with a superb volley winner at the net to make it 4-4.
With the number 26 serving to stay in the set she found herself facing three set points which she managed to save playing some great tennis forcing the error from the Ukrainian.
Svitolina would earn a 4th breakpoint after Putintseva would double fault once again and would take the first 6-4 as the Kazak sent a return into the net.
Svitolina dominates the second set
The second set was quite the opposite of the first as the number 5 seed took the momentum from winning the first set and used it to apply pressure on the Kazak and earned more breakpoints early in the second set.
On the second breakpoint of the set the Ukrainian woud get the early break with a stunning forehand winner down the line to take a 2-0 lead. Putintseva would set up a breakpoint the following game thanks to a great passing shot but Svitolina would save it with an even better forehand winner and hold serve to go up 3-0.
The number 5 seed kept pushing and set up another breakpoint to go up a double break with a scintillating down the line winner. The Kazak would unfortunately double fault on the following point to give Svitolina a 4-0 lead.
After holding serve the Ukrainian finished strong earning three match points on her opponent serve and would win the match when she would once again double fault to take the match.
Svitolina gave her thoughts of the win in her on court interview and she was quite pleased with the win.
“I was happy to comeback in the first set and was trying to find my game back,I know Yulia for a very long time, we used to play when we were kids at U10 and U12 so I know her from a very young age and It’s always a big battle against her and she’s a big fighter so I had to really play my best and it was a good match today.
She will next face Jessica Pegula in the next round after she beat Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets 6-2 and 6-1
