By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday October 29, 2021
Marty Kostyuk reached her third semifinal of 2021 with a sizzling takedown of US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
Photo Source: Transylvania Open
19-year-old Marta Kostyuk knows a thing or two about being a teen sensation. As a 15-year-old she reached the third round at the Australian Open and was thrust into the spotlight from a very young age because of it.
Four years later she is just finding herself on the tour, and is in the midst of a very successful season that has seen her establish herself as a force on the tour, week in and week out. It’s something that Emma Raducanu, can relate to. Though the Brit is the darling of women’s tennis at the moment after she stormed to the US Open title in September without dropping a set, she’ll need to pay her dues just like Kostyuk has.
Some of those dues were paid today as the more experienced Ukrainian blasted past Raducanu, 6-2, 6-1 to book a semifinal clash with two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep in Romania.
Kostyuk says that she weathered an early challenge against Raducanu, and quickly found her game from there.
"I don't know how I won the first game, I think that's where everything started," she said on court after the matchy. "I somehow won that game and I gained this confidence, like I'm not going to lose this match. After that, by the fifth game maybe, I figured out how to play her - today. Maybe next time I play it's going to be different tactics. "It was quick, but I couldn't read her - if her ball is in, it's really tough to do something. I was trying to put as many balls back as I could, and that's it."
Kontaveit Two Matches from Guadalajara
Make it 24 wins from 26 matches for surging Estonian Anett Kontaveit. She defeated Anhelina Kalinina 6-3, 6-1 to stretch her current indoor winning streak to 13 and set a semifinal clash with Rebecca Peterson of Sweden.
The victory was enough to make Ons Jabeur take to Twitter to comment on Kontaveit’s play. Jabeur will qualify for the WTA Finals unless Kontaveit wins the title at Cluj-napoca, but clearly it’s getting too close for comfort for the Tunisian.
Halep Feeling Fit
Simona Halep complained of a blocked back after her second-round win this week, but says that some time on the trainer’s table has served her well. On Friday she needed just 67 minutes to pass Jaqueline Cristian, 6-1 6-1.