Krejcikova ends Svitolina’s Olympic dream in Paris, but Kostyuk battles through
The reigning Wimbledon champion beat Elina Svitolina 7-6 (5), 2-6 , 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the women’s singles event at the Olympics
Krejcikova, 2024 © Zuma/Panoramic
There is to be no repeat of Elina Svitolina‘s memorable bronze medal win at the Tokyo Olympic Games three years ago, as the Ukrainian went down to Barbora Krejcikova 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4 in a gripping third-round encounter in Paris.
Svitolina fought heroically, recovering from a close first-set loss to power her way to the second to gain parity.
The Ukrainian bronze medallist broke twice in a middle stanza she dominated, after the pair settled the opener on a tiebreak having exchanged two breaks each.
The third set went in a similar vein to the first. A close, competitive contest that again saw each player break twice before Krejcikova dealt the fatal blow in the tenth and final game.
The reigning Wimbledon champion had served for the match at 5-3, only for Svitolina to produce an excellent returning game when most needed to break back for 5-4. But she could not consolidate to reapply the pressure on the Czech’s serve, as Krejcikova pounced on a loose service game from Svitolina to get over the line without the need to serve again.
After a match in which she enjoyed the heavy support of the crowd, Svitolina left the arena visibly emotional as chants of “Elina” rang around Court Simonne-Mathieu.
A medal at this year’s Olympic Games was something Svitolina craved more than any title this season, having explained her desire to win for Ukraine as her country remains locked in a desperate war against their invading Russian neighbours.
It was not to be for the former world No 3, whose run ends heartbreakingly in the third round against a world-class opponent.
Kostyuk ensures ukrainian representation continues in the women’s singles
There was better news for Svitolina’s compatriot Marta Kostyuk, however, who fought back from a set down to stun world No 8 Maria Sakkari over on Court 7.
The Ukrainian battled to a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Sakkari to secure a maiden quarter-final appearance at the Olympic Games. She becomes only the second Ukrainian player, after Svitolina in 2021, to reach the last eight in the singles at the Olympics.
It was a match where a hold of serve came at a premium, as each player broke a total of ten times across the three sets.
Having narrowly missed out on the opening stanza, Kostyuk then held her nerve valiantly in the second-set tiebreak to level the scoreboard, before eventually seeing out a topsy-turvy deciding set.
Kostyuk had served for the match at 5-3, only for Sakkari to break for parity. But the unpredictable theme of the contest continued until the end as the Ukrainian broke straight back to knock Sakkari out of the women’s singles event and reach the last eight.
This win, paired with Svitolina’s loss, means that Kostyuk is the sole remaining representative for Ukraine in the women’s singles at the Paris Olympics.
She will play Donna Vekic in the quarter-finals after the Croat upset US Olympic flag-bearer Coco Gauff earlier in the day.
Should Kostyuk get through that encounter, then she will have two shots at a medal, with a loss in the semi-finals leading to a spot in the bronze medal match.
But Vekic is having a superb summer, having backed up her wonderful run to the last four at Wimbledon with another strong set of results in Paris. If Kostyuk is to keep the Ukrainian flag waving in the women’s singles at this summer’s Games, she will need another high-quality performance in the quarter-finals.
