Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has achieved a remarkable milestone by securing her fourth victory at the Australian Open 2025. In the fourth round, Svitolina, currently ranked WTA No. 27, defeated Russian player Veronika Kudermetova, who is competing under a neutral flag, in straight sets with a score of 6:4, 6:1.
The match lasted one hour and twenty minutes, marking their third encounter, with Svitolina claiming her first victory in their head-to-head record. Notably, Svitolina faced a challenging start in the first set, trailing 1:4 with two breaks against her. However, she mounted an impressive comeback, taking control of the match.
After the ninth game, Kudermetova called for a medical timeout due to abdominal muscle issues, which affected her performance. Svitolina capitalized on this momentum, dominating the second set and finishing it with a decisive 6:1 score. The only game she lost in the second set occurred at the very beginning, after which she won five consecutive games.
This victory marks Svitolina's third career advancement to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, equaling her personal best at this tournament. Previously, she reached this stage at Roland Garros 2023 and twice at Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024.
In her quest for a semifinal spot, Svitolina will face American Madison Keys, currently ranked WTA No. 14, who eliminated another Russian player representing Kazakhstan, Elena Rybakina, ranked WTA No. 7.
Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Svitolina has played nine matches against Russian competitors in tennis tournaments, winning all of them. Currently, only two neutral players remain in the Australian Open: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who will compete against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals, and Daria Kasatkina.