Tennis

Svitolina reveals hip injury struggles

A hip injury troubled Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open, where the Ukrainian exited in the quarter-finals.

Dejan Kalinic at Melbourne Park
23 January, 2018 10:41 IST

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina lost to unseeded Elise Mertens in the Australian Open quarterfinals.   -  Getty Images

Dejan Kalinic at Melbourne Park
23 January, 2018 10:41 IST

Elina Svitolina revealed she battled a hip injury throughout the Australian Open after making a quarter-final exit on Tuesday.

READ:  Unseeded Mertens routs Svitolina to reach Open semis

The Ukrainian fourth seed suffered a surprise 6-4 6-0 loss to Elise Mertens in their last-eight clash in Melbourne.

Svitolina, who is now 0-3 in major quarters, said she had been troubled by a hip injury since her title win at the Brisbane International to begin the year.

"I started to feel it actually after the final in Brisbane. Then it was getting worse and then was up and down," the 23-year-old said.

"I always had the tape, a heavy tape under the shorts. So, sometimes, it was fine, but today she's playing a good level, so I had to push myself.

"She didn't give me opportunities. All the credit to her, because she played really good tennis… I couldn't really match it."

Svitolina, whose run to the last eight was her best in Melbourne, said she was unsure if, or for how long, the injury would sideline her.

"I will see what I have to do. Speak with my team. I didn't speak with them," she said.

"Of course we tried to do our best to prepare for the grand slam. It's not every day I'm playing a quarter-final so I had to give everything."

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