Wimbledon 2021: Elina Svitolina passes Alison Van Uytvanck test in the first round
Follow Us
Elina Svitolina
World No.5 Elina Svitolina kicked off her Wimbledon 2021 campaign in style as she beat Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck in the first round. Svitolina opened the Day’s play on Court No.1 and defeated Van Uytvanck in three sets 6-3,2-6,6-3.
The third seed was pushed to her limit by the in form Belgian. Svitolina started proceedings on a low note, getting broken to love in the very first game of the match. But the Ukrainian bounced back the very next game and levelled the scores. She got the decisive break eventually and won the first set 6-3.
The second set started slow with both the players playing defensive tennis. Van Uytvanck raised her level and was aided by a string of errors from Svitolina. The Belgian capitalized a double break lead and won the set 6-2. The third seed started fresh in the third set and was starting to hit winners once again. She held her nerve and consolidated a break’s advantage to win the set 6-3.
‘I was winning, I was losing, I was a little bit down then up’: Elina Svitolina
In the on court interview, Svitolina described her emotions throughout the match. She was scheduled to play yesterday but had her match postponed due to the weather.
She said: “The wait has been too long. It’s just not 3 days, it’s been 2 years and I’ve missed playing here. Wimbledon is always special and I’m very happy for the first round win.”
The third seed also praised her opponent and revealed she was nervousness at the start. “I was expecting a really tough match. She was striking the ball very good and the first set was a little bit nervous but we were both in the same situation and it’s always special to play in Court No.1 and to try and show your game is always a big pressure.”
“It was a good match. Little bit of everything. I was winning, I was losing, I was a little bit down then up. It was a mixture of everything but in the end I am happy I could hold my nerves and play a good third set and won.”
Svitolina will face Magda Linette in the second round on Thursday.
Stay Updated!
Lakshya Chopra
(2595 Articles Published)