(Photo credit score: Mike Frey-Imagn Images)
Hungary’s Anna Bondar, ranked No. 97 on the planet, took benefit of shaky play by No. 12 Elina Svitolina and upset the Ukrainian, 6-2, 6-4 within the first spherical of the U.S. Open on Monday night.
Svitolina, who gave delivery to a daughter within the spring of 2022, returned to the tour a 12 months later and steadily improved her rating. She had a strong clay season, profitable a WTA 250 title in Rouen, France and advancing to the quarterfinals of the French Open, the place she misplaced to Iga Swiatek.
But, after profitable three rounds on the laborious courts in Montreal, she fell within the quarters to Naomi Osaka after which misplaced in a first-round match to Barbora Krejcikova in Cincinnati.
Her struggles worsened in opposition to Bondar, as she dedicated 41 unforced errors and threw in eight double faults.
After saving 5 break factors within the fourth recreation, Bondar broke within the fifth and once more within the seventh video games to seize the primary set. Svitolina misplaced her third consecutive service recreation to open the second set and fell behind, 5-1. She did handle to rattle off three consecutive video games, however the Hungarian gained the ultimate 4 factors of the match to submit the upset.
Bondar gained 13 of 18 factors on the web and transformed 4 of her 9 break level alternatives. Svitolina additionally had 9 probabilities to interrupt, however took benefit of just one.
Bondar will face Greece’s Maria Sakkari within the second spherical.
–Field Level Media