Marta Kostyuk , amidst a tumultuous year, delivered one of her strongest performances against Qinwen Zheng in Stuttgart. Despite recent injury setbacks resulting in walkovers, the Ukrainian showcased her full potential on the court.
With an easy first-set lead, against Qinwen Zheng in the Round Of 16, it seemed like Kostyuk was well ahead of the game. However, Zheng managed to fight back, forcing the match into a third deciding set.
Saving five match points in total at the end, the Ukrainian flipped the script and emerged victorious against Zheng. She beat the Chinese 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 to punch her way to the quarter-finals. However, even after this win, Kostyuk was in disbelief with her luck.
Did not believe I could win this match. (It was) super close, and hardcore. All the match points were incredible rallies. So.. I don't know I think maybe I deserved it a little bit (laughs)… I don’t know. said Marta Kostyuk in the post-match interview
The interviewer, Andrea Petkovic, was quick to reassure the Ukrainian ace that she deserved the win a lot.
Marta Kostyuk pulled off a huge save to book a revenge match against Coco Gauff
With a couple of semi-final runs and a few final appearances this season, Marta Kostyuk has a title just around the corner. She even went to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open before losing to Coco Gauff in a tough match.
Nonetheless, she has continued to play well till now and is looking for another great run at the Stuttgart Open. An Australian Open rematch is on the horizon as these two athletes compete for a spot in the semi-finals.
With such a strong lineup, the rounds are bound to intensify with thrilling matchups ahead. Will Kostyuk get her revenge, or can Gauff make it 2-0 against the Ukrainian this year? Only time will tell.
More must-reads: