A real test for Ashlyn!

Elina had to roll up her sleeves to fend off the tireless Laura Siegemund in a marathon match lasting more than two and a half hours. The Ukrainian showed impressive strength of character by snatching the first set in a tie-break (7-6) before having to withstand the German’s comeback in the second set. True to her reputation as a fighter, Svitolina finally took over physically in the decider (6-3) by relying on a very solid first serve, winning nearly 79% of the points behind her first delivery. It’s a victory that proves she’s ready for a physical battle.

For her part, Ashlyn produced one of the early sensations of the tournament by overturning the 19th seed, Liudmila Samsonova. After a tough first set where she seemed a bit overwhelmed by the Russian’s power (3-6), the Texan completely turned things around by daring to take the ball earlier and coming to the net regularly. She eventually smothered Samsonova by winning the next two sets (7-5, 6-2), earning herself a second consecutive win over a Top 20 player after her victory against Magda Linette. Her ability not to panic after losing the first set shows she has taken an important mental step forward.