No. 11 seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine made a strong statement in the first round of the National Bank Open in Toronto, sweeping aside German Tatjana Maria with a scoreline of 6-0, 6-2. Kostyuk’s dominant performance saw her collect four aces and win 14 of 17 first-serve points, allowing her to cruise into the second round where she will face her compatriot Elina Svitolina.
In just 52 minutes, Kostyuk showcased her talent and determination on the court, setting up an exciting clash with Svitolina, who also had an impressive victory in her first-round match against the United States’ Shelby Rogers. Svitolina, a former champion at the event in 2017, expressed her love for playing in Toronto and the support she receives from the passionate fans.
Unfortunately, another Ukrainian player, No. 16 seed Dayana Yastremska, had to retire from her match due to a shoulder injury. American Taylor Townsend was leading 6-3, 6-1 when Yastremska made the tough decision to not continue, becoming the only seeded player to fall on that day.
Despite Yastremska’s withdrawal, other notable players advanced in the tournament, including No. 12 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who defeated Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets. Czech Karolina Pliskova, China’s Yafan Wang, Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, and Poland’s Magdalena Frech were among the winners in their respective matches.
Frech had to rally from a set down to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Anastasia Potapova of Russia, showcasing her resilience and determination on the court. The competition continued with more matches scheduled for the day, including the highly anticipated showdown between Canadian Bianca Andreescu and Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko.
As the tournament progresses, fans can expect more thrilling matches and fierce competition as the players battle it out for glory at the National Bank Open in Toronto. Stay tuned for more updates and results from this exciting event.
–Field Level Media
