Elina Svitolina, the 20-year-old Ukrainian and currently 17th best woman in the world rankings, is enjoying a breakthrough season of sorts. Last month at Roland Garros, she reached a major quarterfinal for the first time in her young career, propelling her to a new career high ranking, which she carried into the third Grand Slam of the season. However, she is yet to shine on grass, as she entered Wimbledon with only one outing on the surface – a loss in Eastbourne. Despite winning her first match on grass as a pro in the opening round, today she failed to take a set off Casey Dellacqua, the former ninth best doubles player in the world and a runner-up at the All England Club back in 2013, partnering her compatriot Ashleigh Barty.
Svitolina, however, kept it close in both sets. In the first, she even had a head start on Dellacqua, breaking the Aussie in the second game of the match and consolidating for 3/0. In the fourth game, the Ukrainian even started ahead in the count, 0-30, but the missed opportunities made for the first game won by the Australian on Court 17. Three games later, up 4/2, Elina faced five break points and erased four of them. The one that was left was enough to level the set, keeping it tied until the 12th game. A tiebreaker ensued, and despite the world No. 17 once again mini-breaking first, she failed to contain the Aussie, who took the first frame by a 7/6 (7-3) line.
The second set, despite featuring only nine games, lasted only one minute less than the first. Svitolina saved break points in her first game up, but held, and once again the second time she stepped up to serve in the set. This time, Dellacqua converted one opportunity, claiming her first break of the frame as her opponent double faulted from deuce then hit an unforced error break point down. All the effort went down the drain as the world number 61 was broken right back. The Ukrainian held again in the sixth game, but in the 8th, Elina found herself down 15-40. She fended off the first two threats Casey presented to her serve, but got broken in the third. Serving for the set, the Australian veteran almost repeated her early sloppy game, facing a break point at 30-40 and twice after deuce points. She however fired a backhand and a smash winner in back-to-back points to bring the first match point. And she sealed the deal, putting in the books the 7/6, 6/3 win.
Dellacqua now advances to face 2012 runner-up and former world No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska for the second Wimbledon in a row. In their 2014 round of 64 matchup, the Polish player prevailed with a 6/4, 6/0 scoreline.