3 – that's how many games the 22-year-old Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk (21st WTA) won in the last match with this year's bronze medalist of the Olympic Games in Paris – Iga Świątek (1. WTA). It took place five months ago in the tournament on hard courts in Indian Wells. The Pole won 6:2, 6:1.
Now is the beginning match Świątek – Kostiuk in the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati was sensational. Shelf she smoothly lost her serve to 15. However, the response from the best tennis player in the world was excellent – she won four games in a row.
The Ukrainian tried to finish the actions quickly, but she didn't manage to do much. Her coach, was Poland tennis player Sandra Zaniewska explained from the stands that she should play more patiently and fight for every point. However, it was the Pole who was definitely more patient. As a result, after 25 minutes she was leading 5:2. In the eighth game, the Ukrainian was broken for the third time in the match. The set ended with her unforced forehand error. In total, Kostiuk had eleven unforced errors in this set, while Świątek had only five. The Pole also won significantly more points on the first (73-43 percent) and second serve (50-38 percent).
– The Pole does her job well. The Ukrainian's style of play also suits the Pole perfectly. Some of Kostyuk's mistakes are appalling. She herself probably wonders and says: what am I doing – said Canal+Sport commentators.
At the end of the first game of the second set, Kostiuk was furious. She played an unforced error with a forehand from the middle of the court. After hitting the net, she threw her racket hard. Anger did not help her, in the second game, after another simple unforced error with a forehand (this time a few meters out beyond the end line), she lost her serve and lost 0:2.
After a few minutes, Kostyuk could have been in a nearly hopeless situation. She was losing 0:3, 15:40 on her serve. However, she then served well several times and broke the series of five games in a row of the best tennis player in the world. However, she was not able to do more. Ultimately, the Ukrainian lost 2:6, 2:6, which means she won one game more than their previous match in Indian Wells. The match lasted an hour and eleven minutes.
Świątek had fewer winners in the match (4-12), but also more than three times fewer unforced errors (8-27). In total, she won 58 points, while her opponent won 36.
Iga Świątek will face the winner of the match in the quarterfinals of the tournament: Mirra Andreyeva (Russia, 24. WTA) – Jasmine Paolini (Italy, 5. WTA). Live coverage of the Polish clash on Sport.pl and in the Sport.pl LIVE application.