Marta Kostyuk defeated Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in an all-Ukrainian quarter-final at the French Open on Tuesday, advancing to her first grand slam semi-final. The 22-year-old, who has won 17 consecutive matches including titles in Rouen and Madrid, showed composure in the deciding set after a mid-match wobble.
Kostyuk struggled to contain her emotions after sealing victory with an unreturned serve. In her on-court speech, she referenced the war in Ukraine, dedicating the win to the Ukrainian people. 'We had a very difficult night again in Ukraine, especially Kyiv. So many people dead. I want to give this match to Ukrainian people and to their resilience,' she said.
The tournament began under a shadow for Kostyuk, who learned that a Russian missile had landed within 100 metres of her family home in Kyiv, where her sister, mother and great aunt were staying. Despite this, she composed herself to win her first-round match.
Kostyuk will now face 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who beat Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 to reach her second Paris semi-final. The pair met in the Madrid Open final last month, which Kostyuk won. Andreeva said of facing a Ukrainian player: 'For me it doesn’t matter who I play. I really try to play against the ball that is coming at me.'
Kostyuk responded to Andreeva's comments: 'For me it’s not frustrating any more. They are all grown-ups. They know what they’re talking about. They know what’s going on. They have phones. They have Instagram. They have news. They are clearly aware of what’s going on. If this is something that they want to avoid talking about, they have to live with this, not me.'
