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Tennis. Roland-Garros – Elina Svitolina: “I would like to speak French…”

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.”

“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.”

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
#Tennis #RolandGarros #Elina #Svitolina #speak #French..

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