Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, ex-world No.3, joined Russian Anna Blinkova in the final of the WTA tournament in Strasbourg on Friday, beating French Clara Burel, 122nd, in three sets (4-6, 7 -5, 6-3).
The French, junior world champion in 2018 and who hoped to reach the second final of her career after Lausanne in 2021, boldly played her luck against the Ukrainian, alternating tense and cushioned strikes and did not go far from the win in the second set, where she led 4-1.
But Svitolina, down to 508th in the world after a one-year break due to pregnancy and war in her country, hangs on, reverses the trend and ends up snatching the second round with a magnificent winning uncrossed forehand, before win in the 3rd set after 2h20 of match.
“It was a tough fight, Clara played extremely well,” the Odessa native said after the match. “I had to fight and give everything on the court today,” she added, conceding a level of play that had “ups and downs”.
At 4-1, Clara Burel says she felt “a little bit tired” and Svitolina “raised” her level: “I had a few opportunities that I failed to take, that’s what made the difference”. “There is necessarily disappointment, because I was in front”.
Winner of 16 tournaments in her career, including Strasbourg in 2020, Svitolina, who resumed competition in early April and enjoys a protected ranking, is making a fine comeback on Alsatian clay where she will face Russian Anna Blinkova, 24, on Saturday. years.
The 66th in the world was easily defeated in the first semi-final by American Lauren Davis (58th).
This will be the first meeting between the two women.
With her aggressive game, Blinkova took the serve of her opponent five times, flying over the match concluded in 1 hour and 13 minutes. Facing her, bandaged left calf, Davis, 29, sometimes seemed embarrassed in her movements and quickly let go, visibly short of solutions.
Falling from the French Amandine Hesse in the 1st round, Blinkova will try on Saturday to win the second tournament of her career, after the WTA 250 in Cluj-Napoca last year.
