Ukrainian day in Melbourne: 5 Ukrainians defeat first opponents at Australian Open
Dayana Yastremska two steps away from the main draw (Getty Images)
Four Ukrainian tennis players, led by Dayana Yastremska and the last representative for Ukraine in the men's category, Vitalii Sachko, triumphed in the first qualifying round of the Australian Open, according to the match results.
Australian Open, Qualification, 1st Round, Women
Starodubtseva – Kapurro-Taborda – 2:0 (6:3, 6:0)
Yastremska – Boshkovich – 2:1 (6:3, 4:6, 6:3)
Kraus – Snigur – 0:2 (3:6, 0:6)
Tan – Zavatska – 0:2 (1:6, 3:6)
Australian Open, Qualification, 1st Round, Men
Yevseyev – Sachko – 0:2 (2:6, 5:7)
In two sets, Yuliia Starodubtseva defeated Martina Kapurro-Taborda from Argentina. The Latin American resisted only in the first set, responding with one break to two from the Ukrainian. However, in the second set, Starodubtseva dominated the Argentine, securing a bagel in half an hour and advancing to face Britain's Harriet Dart in the next qualification round.
On the other hand, all three sets were a challenge for Dayana Yastremska. The decisive factor in the first two sets against Lea Boshkovich was the number of breaks. While the Ukrainian led in the opening set (3:1), the Croatian tennis player took charge in the second set (2:1). The decisive set became the most conservative, as both players focused on their serves. However, Yastremska managed to secure a spot in the second round with just one break. Her next opponent will be Valentina Grammatikopoulou from Greece.
Daria Snigur played the shortest match, dispatching Sineya Kraus in just 56 minutes. In the first set, the young Ukrainian secured victory with two breaks, while in the second set, following Starodubtseva's example, she bagelled the Austrian in 20 (!) minutes. Snigur's next challenge will be against American Anne Li.
Katarina Zavatska easily clinched victory against Harmony Tan, conceding only four games in total. Furthermore, the Frenchwoman scored only one point in the first set. Accelerating the pace in the second set couldn't save Tan, as Zavatska triumphed with a single break, securing victory in both the set and the match. In the second round, she will face the hostess of the courts, Madison Inglis.
Finally, Vitalii Sachko defeated the representative from Kazakhstan, Denis Yevseyev. In the opening set, the Ukrainian dominated the court with four breaks, an ace, and a 73% first serve success rate. In the second set, the opponents matched each other step for step, leading to a final resolution. In the twelfth game, Sachko, on his second attempt, pressured Yevseyev on his serve, concluding the set and the match. Sachko's next opponent will be determined later.
By the way, Ukrainian Elina Svitolina demonstrated progress in the WTA top-25 rankings.
