Marvellous Marta Masterclass: Kostyuk thrashes Alexandra Eala in statement setter at Rome Open

Late night start, but a quick show from Marta Kostyuk as the Ukrainian continues to go from strength to strength and handed Alexandra Eala a humbling defeat at the Rome Open 6-0, 6-1.

Eala had no answers to the prowess of Kostyuk who only lost last week in two narrow sets against Aryna Sabalenka in a match dominated by the rain delay issue which saw Kostyuk complain at Sabalenka wanting to go off court straight away.

She said that she wouldn't win a sportsman award that is for sure to her team in a humorous moment. But the truth of the matter is that Kostyuk despite an injury scare at the Billie Jean King Cup which saw her out of Stuttgart keeps going from strength to strength.

Conditions that favour a player like Kostyuk compared to Eala, the latter went from nearly beating Iga Swiatek again to being on the wrong side of a poor scoreline.

After a bagel in the opening set, Eala finally got on the scoreboard with a break but this was at 5-1 down in the second so was very much academic and served merely to stem the inevtible.

Kostyuk broke the serve straight afterwards and marches on. Kostyuk now faces Daria Kasatkina who just celebrated her birthday. The winner faces either Leylah Fernandez or Anotina Ruzic.

Fernandez received a bye while Ruzic who came through qualifying saw off one of the touted players in 17-year-old Tyra Grant who has just defected from the US to Italy.

She was in the draw ceremony at the Trevi Fountain alongside Coco Gauff. Speaking of which, Gauff now will team with Eala in doubles in the coming days making a return to a discipline she seemed to have left behind after stopping her team with Jessica Pegula for both to focus on singles.

Match Statistics Eala vs. Kostyuk