Elina Svitolina comes through in ASB Classic thriller against Emma Raducanu

Elina Svitolina came through triumphant in an epic match against Emma Raducanu, winning 6-7 7-6 6-1 at the ASB Classic on Thursday night.

It was the second blockbuster match in three days for Svitolina, having dispatched Caroline Wozniacki in the first round and this match not only lived up to its billing, it went beyond it.

Up until the third set this was edge of the seat stuff, enthralling the packed out stadium as two heavyweights of women’s tennis slugged it out.

It would have been Raducanu’s best win since defeating Leylah Fernandez in the final of the US Open in 2019.

Since then, her only notable victory was against Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia at Indian Wells last year. This match was not only against a slightly better opponent, but also held more significance, given her long layoff to have operations on both of her wrists and an ankle.

Had Raducanu not run out of gas, this could have gone down as one of the all-time great matches at the Classic, up there with Svitolina’s husband Gael Monfils beating Tommy Haas in 2013.

Even Monfils, who was wearing a fetching brown polar fleece was sitting in his wife’s box, would have marvelled at some of the shots being played in this match and there may not be anything as good as these first two sets for the remainder of this fortnight.

It was an enthralling first set as it became apparent when Raducanu got a break in the third game that a good match was on the cards and this wasn’t going to be the one-sided match some predicted.

The Brit shot out to a 5-1 lead, but it was then that the dynamics changed as twice she failed to serve it out.

At 5-5 everything was pointing towards Svitolina keeping that momentum to take the set. But that’s when it went back Raducanu’s way as she not only held serve to send the set to a tiebreak, but then won it 7-5, on her second set point, as she put in a drop shot once she had rooted Svitolina to the back of the court.

There was one break each during the second set, but saying that ignores the drama and monumental battle that played out. However, into another tiebreak we went.

This time there were a few unforced errors from Raducanu, including the forehand she put long on set point.

After that, the match quickly went flat. Raducanu was broken in the second game and again soon after.

After such a thrilling first two sets it was surprising that this match ended in such a disappointing way.

Perhaps the lack of matches by Raducanu caught up with her. Whatever it was, she wasn’t the same player as the won in the first two sets and though she won one game, Svitolina had no intention of letting her back in it.

Meanwhile, in the doubles late on Thursday night Erin Routliffe and Paige Hourigan were defeated by the top seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Marie Bouzkova 6-4 6-2.

“It was fun to be out there. It’s cool to play doubles with Erin and be back playing in New Zealand, even playing tennis,” Hourigan said afterwards.

“It was tough, we struggled to get momentum and they served really well. With Bouzkova, we hardly saw a second serve. I think we struggled on return, because I think that’s one of our strengths. It just didn’t go our way.”

For Routliffe and Hourigan, who defeated Linda and Brenda Fruhvirtova in the first round, it was always going to be a big step up to beat Mattek-Sands and Bouzkova and one they couldn’t quite reach.

“Bethanie has won multiple grand slams and Bouzkova is 20 something in the world, so we knew it was going to be tough,” Routliffe said.

“It’s always fun to play in New Zealand with the home crowd. But like Paige said, we couldn’t get momentum, so that’s where we struggled.”