Elina Svitolina is able to take down Serena Williams on the US Open
D’Arcy MaineESPN
NEW YORK — For the previous 9 days, acquainted names and thrilling new ones have dominated the US Open headlines. From the early exits of defending champions Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic to the rise of teenage sensation Coco Gauff, from the Cinderella runs of Taylor Townsend and Kristie Ahn to the — er — antics of Daniil Medevev and Nick Kyrgios, there was no scarcity of compelling storylines in New York.
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So that you might need missed Elina Svitolina, who has quietly been enjoying a few of the finest, most constant tennis of the event. On Tuesday afternoon, in entrance of a comparatively sparse crowd on Arthur Ashe, the 24-year-old arrange a possible semifinal showdown with Serena Williams with a dominant 6-Four, 6-Four victory over Johanna Konta.
How effectively has she been enjoying within the 12 months’s ultimate Slam? Ask Venus Williams, who she beat within the second spherical, or Madison Keys, who hadn’t misplaced at evening in Queens till she confronted Svitolina within the Spherical of 16, and even actor Tom Hiddleston, who got here to cheer on his fellow Brit within the quarters and left speechless after the defeat. Svitolina has but to drop a set this fortnight.
“I’ve performed her thrice or 4, I feel,” stated Konta after the match. “Have not beat her but. I do really feel that was in all probability the most effective I felt her play in opposition to me. She performed so effectively, to be trustworthy.”
Svitolina would not have the quickest serve or the strongest internet presence, however she methodically and tactfully wears down her opponents. She gained the longest rally of the event (together with males) so far in a 40-shot basic with Whitney Osuigwe within the opening spherical.
At the moment ranked No. 5 on the planet, she’s been on the cusp of elite standing for a while. She has gained a Tour-high 9 titles since 2017, together with her largest title thus far, the 2018 WTA Finals through which she beat Sloane Stephens within the title match. Svitolina superior to her first main semifinals at Wimbledon this summer time, the place she misplaced to eventual champion Simona Halep. She turned the primary Ukrainian girl to ever attain the ultimate 4 on the US Open together with her win on Tuesday. It was the newest in a string of firsts for her and nation, and her pleasure at every achievement is obvious. After she clinched the win Tuesday, she raised her arms in victory, then introduced her fists underneath her chin, tilted her head again and smiled.
“It isn’t each day you are enjoying quarterfinal of the Grand Slam,” she stated afterwards. “And to win that, it is one thing particular. Yeah, simply very pleased the best way I dealt with the strain.
“I feel all my profession I’ve been going step-by-step. I used to be going very slowly. Nonetheless, I used to be fairly constant, I might say, however I had some powerful matches spherical of 16, quarterfinals earlier than I began to win them.”
Earlier this 12 months, she and her boyfriend Gael Monfils, who will probably be enjoying a quarterfinal match of his personal on Wednesday, went public with their relationship. The revelation has raised her profile off the tennis court docket, thanks largely to their joint Instagram account which paperwork their travels world wide and life on tour for his or her almost 100,000 followers.
He has been a fixture at her matches, cheering her on from her field. She is often requested about him in post-match interviews and information conferences — though Monfils hardly ever fields such questions. Svitolina offers him some credit score for enhancements in her recreation, however is emphatic he’s not the one issue.
“He is hitting fairly sturdy and really heavy so I feel positively it helps me to follow with him,” she stated. “However, you recognize, I have to discover a stability, as a result of if I solely follow with him, I will be solely in protection more often than not, and that is not so good. So I’ve to seek out stability once I’m coaching with him and in addition prepare with my coach to do the attacking photographs.”
Svitolina will tackle Serena Williams or Wang Qiang subsequent. She has a 1-Four profession report in opposition to Williams, however gained their final assembly on the 2016 Rio Olympics, and is Three-1 in opposition to Qiang, together with a win on the 2018 US Open within the second spherical. Whereas Williams, who’s chasing her record-tying 24th Grand Slam title, could be the extra tantalizing opponent for followers, Svitolina insists she would not care who she faces.
“Positively it is a huge problem to play in opposition to [Williams] nevertheless it would not actually matter who I will play in semifinal,” she stated. “[It] is a problem. [The] one that reaches the semifinal is enjoying effectively. It’s important to carry your finest recreation to beat them. Does not matter who’s going to be within the semifinal.”