Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk crushes former Russian player to reach her first-ever WTA 1000 final
Marta Kostyuk advanced to Madrid tournament finals (Photo: REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura)
Marta Kostyuk (WTA No. 23), Ukraine's second-ranked tennis player, advanced to the final of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid after defeating former Russian Anastasia Potapova (WTA No. 56), who now represents Austria.
In the first set, the Ukrainian tennis player performed flawlessly on her serve and secured two breaks, allowing her to win 6-2.
She faltered in the second set, winning only a single game to lose 1-6.
In the decisive set, Kostyuk once again demonstrated a high level of mastery, serving excellently. She also forced her opponent into errors, resulting in three breaks and a 6-1 victory.
This is the first time in her career that Kostyuk has reached the final of a WTA 1000 tournament.
The rivals met for the fifth time, with the Ukrainian claiming her third victory.
WTA 1000. Madrid, Spain. Semifinal Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) — Anastasia Potapova (Austria) — 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.
The match lasted 1 hour and 38 minutes. Kostyuk hit one ace and committed five double faults.
Kostyuk extended her unbeaten streak to 11 matches, setting a new personal record. The Ukrainian tennis player's winning streak began at the WTA 250 tournament in Rouen, France, where she won five matches and captured the title.
Kostyuk will face neutral tennis player Mirra Andreeva (WTA No. 8), who holds a Russian passport, in the final of the Madrid tournament.
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