Elina Svitolina praises Venus Williams after grabbing pass to third round
Elina Svitolina excused the two-time US Open champion Venus Williams from the singles main draw in New York, disposing of the American in straight 6-4 sets.
The fifth seed emotively thanked the crowd following her victory, even though her 39-year-old adversary had scooped up most of the public’s cheers and warmth. "It was a really incredible match,” the Ukrainian said, as reported by George Bellshaw. “Thank you guys, even though you didn't support me!”
Svitolina, who maintained the lead during the whole match except when her opponent was 3-0 up in the second partial, affirmed that the score does not reflect the intensity of the encounter.
“It was one of the best atmospheres I've played in. It was really special, really pushed me to raise my level. I had to stay very focused. I had to play every point as if it was the last one,” the 24-year-old told the press. “Try to put one extra ball over the net. I was expecting that she would raise her level. She’s a very experienced player so she knows how to handle the moments like this. I was expecting a very tough match and we would see in the end, it was incredibly tough. Only a few points decided the match.”
Svitolina, who will next play the second-round winner between Rebecca Peterson and Dayana Yastremska, seems to have a very strong admiration for the eldest of the Williams sisters. The American managed to save five match points with her serve, before the recent Wimbledon semifinalist concluded the encounter with her serve. “Venus, it’s unbelievable what she does on the court and off the court. I really get big inspiration from her,” Svitolina said post-match, which rejoins the mention she had made of Williams as “the legend of the women’s tennis” before they faced on this Wednesday.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2UepXh6
No comments