Ukraine sets record for representation at Australian Open
Daria Snigur will play for the first time in the 1/64 finals of the Australian Open (Getty Images)
Ukrainian tennis players Dayana Yastremska, Yuliia Starodubtseva, and Daria Snigur have successfully made it to the main draw of the Australian Open through the qualifying rounds, according to the results of the matches.
Australian Open, Qualification, Women's Final
Yastremska – Joynt – 2:1 (6:2, 1:6, 6:4)
Starodubtseva – Knutson – 2:1 (6:4, 1:6, 7:6)
Inglis – Snigur – 1:2 (2:6, 7:5, 3:6)
A total of 7 Ukrainian women will compete in the 1/64 finals. This is the highest representation in the history of Ukrainian tennis. Elina Svitolina, Anhelina Kalinina, Lesia Tsurenko, and Marta Kostiuk will join the qualifiers in the main round.
The qualifying trio of Ukrainian tennis players played three sets each in the decisive matches for a spot in the main round. Yastremska defeated the tournament host, Maya Joint. In the first set, the Ukrainian gave the Australian only two games, but she struggled in the second set (1:6). The decisive set saw Yastremska secure the final point in the tenth game with a crucial break.
Starodubtseva's match was even more dramatic. She spent almost 3 hours on the court against the Czech Gabriela Knutson. The first two sets followed the expected scenario, with both players exchanging victories. However, in the third set, a triple exchange of breaks led to a tiebreak. The Ukrainian tennis player quickly gained an advantage and confidently secured her place in her debut major.
Finally, Snigur defeated another Australian, Madison Inglis. In the first set, the Ukrainian led 3:0 with two breaks and easily closed the set. However, in the second set, things got tense. With the score tied at 5:5, a tiebreak seemed inevitable, but Snigur unexpectedly lost her own serve to love. The Kyiv native redeemed herself in the third set, securing a victory with breaks in the first and ninth games.
Earlier, Svitolina and three other Ukrainian women learned about their first-round opponents in the main draw. The winners of the qualifiers will find out their opponents later. The first matches of the 1/64 finals are scheduled for January 14.
By the way, Ukrainian Svitolina demonstrated progress in the WTA top-25 rankings.
