© Getty Images Sport – Hannah Peters
Elina Svitolina dropped some high praise on Emma Raducanu following their Auckland match, saying that their clash reminded her of the one she had against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek during last year’s Wimbledon.
Svitolina, seeded at No. 2, overcame Raducanu 6-7 (5) 7-6 (3) 6-1 in a match that featured high-quality tennis. In the first two sets, Svitolina and Raducanu were constantly going at each other as winners and great shots were blasting from both sides.
Unfortunately, Raducanu – who was playing her first tournament in eight months after three surgeries – was seemingly left without fuel in the third set as her intensity and level noticeably dropped in the decider. Still, Svitolina felt it was among the top-2 matches she has played in level-wise.
In the summer of 2023, Svitolina stunned four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek 7-5 6-7 (5) 6-2 in the Wimbledon quarterfinal.
“It was at a really high level. I would say it was a similar match I had with Iga at Wimbledon. We were striking the ball well with every point finishing with a winner pretty much. It was good, competitive sets and it was the second best match I’ve played level-wise,” Svitolina said in her press…
