Elina Svitolina dominated her Russian opponent Anna Kalinskaya with a convincing 6:1, 6:1 victory to advance to the fourth round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal. The Ukrainian tennis star, currently ranked 13th in the world, needed just 55 minutes to dispatch the world No. 31 in what can only be described as a masterclass performance.
The 30-year-old Odesa native controlled the match from the very first points, serving eight aces and converting five break points while not allowing Kalinskaya to capitalize on any of her break opportunities.
"I felt really good on court today and executed my game plan perfectly," the Ukrainian player might have reflected after such a dominant showing.
This victory marks Svitolina's third win against Kalinskaya in as many meetings, including their recent encounter in Dubai. Worth noting, this is the first time since 2018 that Svitolina has reached the fourth round in Montreal—a significant milestone in her return to top form.
In the Round of 16, Svitolina will face world No. 7 Amanda Anisimova, who recently reached the Wimbledon final. The head-to-head record favors the Ukrainian, who won three of their four previous meetings back in 2021.
Interestingly, Svitolina's path to this round wasn't entirely smooth. In her previous match against Camilla Rakhimova, she had to overcome losing four consecutive games in the first set before regrouping to secure a 7:5, 6:2 victory.
Off the court, Svitolina recently purchased an apartment in Kyiv, indicating her plans to spend more time in her homeland in the future. Can this personal stability translate to even stronger performances on tour? Her dominant showing in Montreal certainly suggests she's finding her rhythm at just the right time.
