Svitolina saves 7 match points and bagels Valentova in Cincinnati Open thriller
Elina Svitolina (Photo: REUTERS/Raghed Waked)
Ukrainian No. 1 Elina Svitolina pulled off a miraculous comeback at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati on Aug. 16, saving seven match points to defeat Czech player Tereza Valentova in three sets.
World No. 9 Svitolina faced World No. 64 Valentova in their first-ever career meeting.
In the opening set, Svitolina struggled on her serve, dropping three service games. Although she managed a single break back, Valentova closed out the set 3–6.
The second set developed into a tense, evenly matched contest that culminated in a tiebreak. Svitolina rallied from 2–5 down in the tiebreak after fending off seven match points across the set, ultimately taking the tiebreak 7–6(5).
Carrying full momentum into the decider, the Ukrainian player delivered a flawless third set, shutting out Valentova with a 6–0 sweep.
Match Summary (Cincinnati, Round 2):
Elina Svitolina (UKR, 9) def. Tereza Valentova (CZE, 64): 3–6, 7–6(5), 6–0
Match duration: 2 hours 20 minutes
Key stats: Svitolina recorded six aces, four double faults, and converted 6 of 12 break-point opportunities.
She advances to the third round, where she will face China's Wang Xinyu.
Ukraine continues to maintain a strong presence in the Cincinnati singles draw, with Marta Kostyuk also progressing to the third round following a hard-fought comeback victory over former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
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