Titled at Strasbourg the week before the Parisian Grand Slam, Elina Svitolina doesn’t stop anymore. In a very good period, the Ukrainian went for her ninth consecutive victory this Sunday by dominating the Russian Daria Kasatkina, 9th player in the world, 6-4, 7-6(5). The Russian hadn’t dropped a single set yet. But, offensively, Svitolina was able to win the key points of the match and especially tighten the game to conclude the tie-break, after having served twice for the match. The native of Odessa will play her fourth quarter-final at Roland-Garros, her ninth in a Grand Slam. “Svito” will then be opposed to Aryna Sabalenka or Sloane Stephens.
Video – Married to Monfils… French or Ukrainian Svitolina?
The Roland-Garros 2023 Men’s table click HERE
The Ladies table of Roland-Garros 2023 click HERE
“The audience was there”
At a press conference, the player returned to the unusual support she received from the Parisian public. The wife of Gael Monfils is in a way the last “Frenchwoman” still in the running, even if unfortunately, she does not master Molière’s language well enough to carry out the interview in French: “I would love to, butFrom the first round, I saw that I was supported, I was acclaimed by the public, and I get more each time. I absolutely did not expect that. I already knew in Strasbourg that many people supported me. I have now been married for several years, I have been with Gaël for more than 5 years, I did not expect that to happen this year anyway! But hey, I’m grateful to the public for being there, supporting me, even if sometimes I was behind in some matches, and I came back, the public was there! He supported me. He gives me that hope too, hope that I can come back and win.”
Elina Svitolina’s reaction after beating Kasatkina at Roland Garros.
Gael Monfils is on his feet.
Elina’s hand is on her heart.
To be in that stadium & feel the love pulsing in that arena.
Simply beautiful. 🥹â¤ï¿½’�
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 4, 2023
“So I feel more free”
She went on to discuss the strengths of her recent motherhood that help her play more liberated: “Right now I don’t have that pressure that I used to have. And personally I’m already putting pressure on myself, because I want to win a Grand Slam, that’s my ultimate goal. But in everything case, I no longer have the pressure that comes from outside, it’s true. Because no one expects me to arrive here at Roland-Garros and that, all of a sudden, I reaches the quarter-finals, at least at the very start of the tournament. That’s why it helps me, and I also feel like I’m 17 again! I’m fresh, when I arrive on the circuit, I don’t have to defend points, neither here nor next week. So I feel freer.”
�’� “I’m just taking it match by match”
Svitolina’s press conference after beating Kasatkina for the seventh time ⤵�’�#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/leovjWx6CT
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2023
The Ukrainian also explains that while she was inspired by certain returns to the highest level after maternity, she was not specifically asked for advice: “I haven’t had contact with anyone. Anyway, I know a few athletes. And in tennis, Tatjana Maria, she made the semi-final at Wimbledon, it’s a good source of motivation for me, Tatjana Maria, to do better, and even do better than her. It’s amazing what she did, how she made a stunning comeback. There are a lot of athletes who have done that. Clijsters also won a Grand Slam after having a baby. I have this motivation in me to do this. I know it is possible. I know that there are other examples, and with a little luck, I have this chance to seize, and precisely, I work there a lot to achieve my goal. I also try to stay focused to take the matches one after the other.”
“Kasatkina, she is brave”
Finally Svitolina also had a kind word for her rival of the day, yet Russian. But with her coming out Kasatkina has distanced herself from her country of origin: “Of course, I greeted her, and I thank her for the position she has taken. Of course, I recognize what she did, she is brave. She expressed herself publicly, not many players did. She is courageous.”
2023-06-04 19:59:00
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