Svitolina conquers Potapova in Monterrey opener

In a match that many feared would not happen due to the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, Elina Svitolina defeated Anastasia Potapova to advance at the 2022 Abierto GNP Seguros on Tuesday night.

The Ukrainian breezed through in a 6-2 6-1 victory, saving all three break points faced as she closed out the match in just 64 minutes. There was some uncertainty regarding if this match would go forward, as Svitolina initially refused to face her Russian opponent unless some conditions were met. The WTA and tournament organizers eventually acquiesced to her demands, and both women took to the courts in a tense showdown.

Motivated by national pride, Svitolina played some inspired tennis in the first set as she quickly broke her opponent to race to a 3-0 lead. Potapova did not put up much of a resistance, perhaps weighed down by the gravity of the ongoing international situation. The 20-year old Russian was unable to keep up with her higher-seeded opponent's aggression and power from the baseline, succumbing to the top seed after barely an hour.

With perhaps the most emotionally difficult match behind her, Svitolina advances to the Round of 16 where she will face Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova.