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Elina Svitolina Secures First Title in Nearly Two Years at Rouen Open

Elina Svitolina from Ukraine celebrated a significant milestone in her career by winning her first title in almost two years, triumphing over Serbia’s Olga Danilovic with a score of 6-4, 7-6(8) in the final of the Rouen Open held in France on Sunday.

As the tournament’s top seed, Svitolina needed a determined effort spanning one hour and 58 minutes to overcome Danilovic, who was the third seed, at this WTA 250 clay-court event.

The last time Svitolina claimed a title was at the Strasbourg tournament in May 2023, shortly after her return to professional tennis following maternity leave.

Since that victory, Svitolina’s only other final appearance occurred at the Auckland Open in January 2024, where she faced a tough challenge from Coco Gauff, currently ranked fourth in the world, and did not secure the win.

In the final match against Danilovic, Svitolina displayed her resilience, particularly in the second set. After facing two set points while trailing 6-4 in the tiebreak, she managed to turn the tide and clinch her fourth championship point to seal the match.

As a professional athlete with a remarkable history in the sport, Svitolina has now participated in 22 WTA finals, emerging victorious in 18 of them. Impressively, she did not drop a single set throughout the tournament.

“I feel very good; it was a great tournament for me,” Svitolina expressed after her win. “It wasn’t an easy final, but I am thrilled to have managed to win all my matches in straight sets and played some good tennis. I’m pleased with how the season has started.”

This latest victory at the Rouen Open marks Svitolina’s 18th career title and her seventh on clay, extending her impressive record in WTA singles finals to 18 wins and only 4 losses.

“I feel confident in my game; I have faith in my abilities,” the 30-year-old athlete remarked.

“From the beginning of the tournament, I faced some strong competitors, but I remained composed and continued to fight,” Svitolina concluded, reflecting on her performance.

Danilovic, the finalist, also offered commendations to Svitolina after the match. “First of all, Happy Easter everyone. Secondly, congrats to Elina. Great tournament, great week. You are a champion. I don’t need more words for you because you are amazing,” the 24-year-old Serb stated.

Source
www.forbes.com