Svitolina beats ex-Russian player to advance to Washington quarterfinal - video
Elina Svitolina (Photo: Instagram/elisvitolina)
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament in Washington, D.C., defeating Polina Kudermetova, a former Russian player who now represents Uzbekistan, on July 30.
The tournament's second seed, who received a first-round bye and began her campaign in the second round, secured a straight-sets victory, winning 7-6(4), 6-4. This marked the first-ever meeting between the two players.
In the first set, Svitolina twice rallied back after suffering service breaks. Serving at 5-6, Kudermetova failed to convert a set point, allowing the Ukrainian to force a tiebreak and claim it 7-4.
In the second set, a crucial three-game streak proved decisive: after trailing 1-2, Svitolina surged ahead to 4-2 before closing out the match on her own serve at 6-4.
WTA 500. Washington. Round of 16
Elina Svitolina (Ukraine, 2) — Polina Kudermetova (Uzbekistan, Q) — 7-6(4), 6-4
Svitolina reached the quarterfinals in Washington for the second time in her career, matching her previous best result at the tournament set in 2023.
In the match for a semifinal spot, the Ukrainian will face Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. Svitolina lost to Eala in straight sets (3-6, 4-6) at the Berlin tournament in June.
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