Following a break from tennis, former Top 10 player Elina Svitolina of Ukraine collars Strasbourg against Russian counterpart Anna Blinkova, 6-2, 6-3 after 90 minutes of play on the clay court.
While the Ukrainian came out victorious, we can not really say that she’s finally back — despite winning easily and in straight sets — as it was quite obvious that she’s still hitting a little weaker and moving a bit slower than she used to. Yes, Svitolina served better and had more break points saved, but then, against someone who did not really take as long a break as the Ukrainian, the World Number 66 Blinkova may have just been pressed by stuff outside tennis.
At any rate, it was quite a good gesture by Svitolina to have even donated her prize money to Ukrainian children. Perhaps it could bring her some good luck and win a couple of matches in the upcoming French Open.
Meantime over at Rabat, Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti nets her first WTA singles title at the expense of Julia Grabher, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 in an absorbing weekend of tennis. Well, nerves, indeed, has a lot to do with who wins the match.
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