By Chris Oddo | Wednesday March 13, 2019
After spending nearly five and a half hours winning back-to-back three-setters on Tuesday and Wednesday, Elina Svitolina could really use a day off.
And she’ll get one on Thursday, after booking her spot in the BNP Paribas Open semi-finals for the first time with a 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory over 19-year-old Marketa Vondrousova.
Svitolina, who needed three hours and 12 minutes to get through Ash Barty in the longest WTA match of 2019 on Tuesday, navigated the tricky terrain of a hard-charging opponent who possesses weapons on both wings, but who may be a little raw when it comes to finishing.
"I was just trying to bring everything what I've got left in my body," Svitolina said. "Because I know that tomorrow is a day off, so it's a good thing."
Svitolina eventually found her way past the Czech by learning to deal with her spin and, when she had the opportunities, taking an aggressive stance and beating her to the punch. It proved to be a difficult task at first and the No.6 seed said she needed time to get her feet beneath her against the daunting left-handed spin that Vondrousova’s forehand produced.
“She is tricky because she has this different spin,” Svitolina told reporters after the match. “You have to move really good. I think these conditions here, they really benefit her game. The ball bounce very high. That's why I have to move really good. In the beginning, physically I was not 100% there. So, you know, that's why I had to really push myself physically today, because the rallies were long.”
After dropping the opener Svitolina came through a hotly contested middle set that featured a run of four consecutive breaks. She held for 5-4 to snap the run and broke again for 6-4.
Vondrousova, who showed off her big power and ability to widen the court with angled groundstrokes for much of this match, broke through for 3-2 in the third set but she was broken immediately back in the next game.
The pair traded holds to get to 4-4 but Svitolina seized on the moment late and won eight of the final points to clinch her victory in two hours and 11 minutes.
She’ll move on to face 18-year-old sensation Bianca Andreescu in the semi-finals.
When asked what she knew of the rising Canadian by WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen at her post-match press conference, the Ukrainian replied:
“I know she won the most matches in this season. She plays great tennis. I think she moves good, and I have to be ready. But for me, I don't think so much about it right now. I have to enjoy. I have to recover. I have one day. I'm going to speak with [coach Andrew Bettles] about her game and go from there.”