Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina won a tough three-set battle to defeat Anna Blinkova of Russia to reach the French Open last 16 on Friday in her first Grand Slam since becoming a mother.
Svitolina came through 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 against an opponent she had also defeated in the Strasbourg final last weekend.
Once again, Svitolina chose not to shake hands with her rival in protest at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
She claimed victory on a third match point with a crunching backhand winner to see off Blinkova, who had knocked out fifth-ranked Caroline Garcia in the last round.
“I wasn’t moving well in the first set, but I tried to fight and find my game,” said Svitolina, watched courtside by her husband, French tennis star Gael Monfils.
“After the first set, I was playing better and better and just tried to give everything.
“I played well under pressure and just decided to leave everything out there.”
Svitolina, who hit 37 winners in Friday’s win, will face another Russian, ninth-seeded Daria Kasatkina, for a place in the quarter-finals.
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