Kostyuk beats Svitolina in all-Ukraine quarterfinal, dedicates win to country
9 verified3 unconfirmed
Marta Kostyuk defeated compatriot Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the French Open quarterfinals, becoming the first Ukrainian woman in the Open era to reach the singles semifinals at Roland Garros. The match took place the day after Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 18 people across Ukraine, and Kostyuk dedicated her victory to the Ukrainian people in an emotional on-court interview. Kostyuk will face Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals after Andreeva defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3. Kostyuk leads Andreeva 2-0 on tour, including a win in the Madrid Open final last month. Both Ukrainian players have maintained a policy of not shaking hands with opponents from Russia and its ally Belarus since the war began in 2022. Svitolina expressed sadness at the ongoing violence and said Kostyuk winning the title would be “massive for Ukraine.”
What’s verified
Marta Kostyuk defeated Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the French Open quarterfinals.
Kostyuk is the first Ukrainian woman in the Open era to reach the singles semifinals at Roland Garros.
The match occurred a day after Russian missile and drone attacks killed at least 18 people in Ukraine.
Kostyuk dedicated her win to Ukraine, saying “I want to give this match to Ukrainian people.”
Kostyuk will face Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals.
Andreeva defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 to reach the semifinals.
Kostyuk leads Andreeva 2-0 on tour, including a win in the Madrid Open final.
Kostyuk has a 17-match winning streak on clay this season.
Kostyuk and Svitolina do not shake hands with opponents from Russia or Belarus.
Not yet confirmed
One source reported that Kostyuk showed journalists a photograph of a building on fire 100 metres from her family home after Russian missiles struck Kyiv.
One source reported that Kostyuk texted her family to check if they were safe after the attacks.
The number of people wounded in the attacks was reported by one source as more than 100.
Key figures
Marta Kostyuk (Ukrainian tennis player)
Elina Svitolina (Ukrainian tennis player)
Mirra Andreeva (Russian tennis player)
Sorana Cirstea (Romanian tennis player)
Marion Bartoli (interviewer, former player)
Andrei Medvedev (former Ukrainian player, mentioned historically)
Dayana Yastremska (Ukrainian player, mentioned historically)
Coco Gauff (defending champion, mentioned in one source)
Iga Swiatek (four-time winner, mentioned in one source)
Sources: BBC News, Sky Sports
