Svitolina’s victories in Rome in 2017-2018: as it was | Tennis

The soil season in the tennis player is in full swing. Only three days ago the WTA 1000 series tournament in Madrid ended, and today, on May 6, competitions of a similar category in Rome starts.

Given the brilliant current form of Elina Svitolina, as well as her titles in the capital of Italy in 2017-2018, « Champion » Instead of the traditional previews, the tournament proposes to remember the Roman twists of the first racket of Ukraine. Moreover, you can follow certain parallels of those times.

We turn on the virtual time machine and return in 2017.

2017

At that time, Svitoline was 22 years old, just as much as Marty Kostyuk. However, unlike her junior partner in the national team of Ukraine, at the time of the start of the season-2017, Elina already had 4 titles in her work and was in 14 positions in the world ranking.

The fans had every reason to hope for the further progress of the young tennis player. And the hopes came true.

In early February, Svitolin won the International Series (now WTA 250) in Taiwan. She did not have really serious rivals there, but you always need to remember the importance in women’s tennis of a positive mental state.

The two victories over the Australian national team in the Federation Cup (the former Billy Cup Gin King) in Kharkiv followed. Oh, there were times …

After a series of successful performances, the greatest victory in his career came. Svitolina won a prestigious level Premier 5 In Dubai.

It should be recalled that 8 years ago there was no single WTA 1000 series on the women’s tennis calendar. There were more prestigious tournaments Premier Mandatory (Indian-Vells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing), for the victory of which the athlete received 1000 points, and competition Premier 5 (Doha/Dubai, Rome, Cincinnati, Toronto/Montreal and Uhan), where the title « cost » 900 test points.

In Dubai Svitolin, in decisive matches, the top was overcome by the German Angelic Kerber and Danka Karolyn Wozniatsky. The result was the debut of the young tennis player in the top 10 world rating.

Elina in America is missed, because there were no special success there. Interesting what happened next. At the beginning of the soil season, in mid -April, Svitolina went not to play in Stuttgart, unlike the strongest athletes who traditionally fought there for Porsche and at International to Istanbul. And for a clear advantage, she took the title there.

Doesn’t resemble anything? And if you replace Istanbul with Ruan?

In Madrid, however, nothing happened (and will not go out until 2025) – Defeat at the start of Sisai Zheng.

But everything happened in Rome as possible!

Svitolin began with a work victory in the second round over Aliz Corne with an epic Tai Breika in the second set (13:11). Next was the unexpected defeat in the first party from Mona Bartel. This is where Elina finally turned on the full and did not give any game to the two sets in the next two sets!

In the quarterfinals, Karolina Plishkova became the rival of Svitolina. In those years, Elina often did not resort to matches against powerful Czechs. From her youth, the Ukrainian was used to acting on a protective style, which Plishkova, Peter Kvitov was successfully broken. At the time of the Roman quarterfinals, the score of Elina and Carolina’s eye meetings was 4: 1 in favor of the latter.

That match was a turning point in a personal confrontation. Svitolina embarrassed the opponent with an unexpectedly attacking tennis and celebrated the victory in two sets. Since then, the paths of rivals have crossed four more times, and every time our athlete has won.

In the future, it was not without a considerable part of the apron. However, we know who is usually lucky.

In the semifinals, it is similar to Plkoev on the manner of playing the mugurus Garbinier because of the injury starred in the middle of the first set. Simon Halep won the first party in a decisive duel, and in the second she received a leg damage. She gave the match, but triumphed Svitolin. So Elina won the second in the season victory at the series tournament Premier 5, first conquered Rome.

Elina Svitolina (Right) and Simon Halep

Getty Images

And then there was a Rolan Garros, who wants to remember the least, but you can not overlook. In those days, a lot was discussed about the so -called « curse of Rome. » The player, who became the winner of the tournament in the capital of Italy, inevitably lost in Paris.

The curse caught up with Svitolin as painfully as possible. In the quarterfinals, Rolan Harros lost Halep, leading 6: 3, 5: 1. Many believe that it was then that Elina was closest to the cherished winning Grand Slam. Despite the three semi -finals of « helmets » later.

Elina failed in 2017 and become the first racket of the world. After victory on the third per year tournament Premier 5 In Toronto, she was near her second tennis dream, but further competitions were relatively unsuccessful. Svitolina completed the sixth position in the WTA ranking.

2018

Despite the successful 2017, Elina Svitolina and her team were not very satisfied with his results. The impression may have spoiled the unsuccessful autumn segment.

When preparing for the 2018 season, a 23-year-old Ukrainian made a bold decision: to rebuild her protective style game for an attacking style. Particular attention was paid to the best movement of the court, for which Svitolina began to lose weight.

It is believed that the change of style is associated with the lack of at that time the titles of Grand Slam in the three best players of the protective plan in WTA-tour: Wozniatsky, Halen and Svitolina. Allegedly in the defense of « helmets » are not won.

Ironically, the first two tennis players from this list, which remained faithful to themselves, won the titles, respectively, at Australian Open and Rolan Garros. The Ukrainian can still no such achievements.

The beginning of the season for Svitolina was optimistic. In January, she won the series tournament Premier (now – WTA 500) in Brisbane and reached the quarterfinal of Australian Open. In February, she became a prime minister in Dubai.

However, the more slender externally Elina became, the more problems appeared in her game. In the first soil tournaments – In Stuttgart and Madrid – she managed to win only one match.

Elina Svitolina and Ruslan Cherney

Photo from the personal archive Ruslan Cherney

In the starting match in Rome, Svitolina confidently beat the Croat Martyt. The first set of the Second Circle match against the new Australian Kasatkina came out shocking – Bublik in 20 minutes from the then Russian.

Perhaps this failure has changed everything for Elina at that tournament. Starting from the middle of the second party, she had a great advantage over the rival and more likely to beat herself.

It became clear to which tennis Svitolina sought through a change in style. The power of her blows decreased a little, but she had time to almost all the balls and, with the least opportunity, took the initiative in the draw, chasing rivals around the corners.

Angel Kerber tried to resist in the quarterfinals, but Elina with any style of the game was too complicated for German. In the period 2017-2018, the Ukrainian won all 5 eye meetings against her.

Annette Konaveite and Simon Haleph did not actually have a chance in the semifinals and the finals, respectively. This is especially true of the Romanian, which received 0: 6 in the first party, winning in it only 8 (!) Draws.

Elina Svitolina with a trophy

Getty Images

And yet, the « curse of Rome » continued to act. On Rolan Garros Svitolina lost in the third circle a strange match of Romanians Buzarnescu, and Halep took her first Grand Slam.

Unfortunately, Roman Premier 5 became the penultimate successful tournament in 2018 for Svitolina. Changes in the style of the game worked in the future only once – At the final tournament in Singapore, which Elina won brilliantly.

Further, there was a decrease in the level of the game, meeting with the future husband Gael Montis (everyone can conclude for themselves whether these events are related to each other), the birth of a daughter Sky and a return to active speeches two years ago.

2025

At the end of 2024 Svitolina decided to surgery to solve the problem with chronic leg injury. The health itself did not allow Ukrainians in 2023 after the quarterfinals, Rolan Garros and the Wimbledon Semi-Final, continue the movement to the world tennis elite.

In the current season Elina at the first tournament of the season reached the quarterfinals AUstralian Open. After that, there were no special success for two months.

It turned out that the breakthrough requires a moral lift. In April, Svitolina initially helped the national team of Ukraine For the first time break through In the final round of Billy Cup Gin King, winning two matches. And then she went to gain confidence not to Stuttgart, but to Ruan (remember Istanbul-2017).

Title in France provided the required level of confidence. On « Tensyk » in Madrid, where Elina did not win two matches in a row, Ukrainian woman in the whole career reached the semifinals and for the first time in three years It rose to the TOP-15 world rating. There is reason to hope to continue successful speeches in Rome.

Let’s look at the tournament grid and try to appreciate the chances of Svitolina for a successful performance.

The first circle of a 30-year-old athlete, like all sown, misses. The second will have to play with the winner of the Match Buzas Maniro – Lee. Both rivals are good for entering the tournament.

Further, most likely, Russian Samsonova. For slow Roman soil a good option. It is difficult to score a lot of winers here, and if it does not work, Samsonov often starts to be mistaken.

Iga Schwontek in the 1/8 finals will be a real litmus paper of the current state of Svitolina. The current champion of the tournament in Rome this season does not have any title and you can even play it on a favorite cover for polka.

Will it be possible?

We will find out the answer to this question in a week.