15 year-old Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk continued her fairy-tale run at the 2018 Australian Open. The youngster managed to beat home player Olivia Rogowska 6-3, 7-5 to reach the third round.
In a close match as far as straight sets wins go, Kostyuk won four of the first five games. She was broken back in game seven by the home player. However, Rogowska’s own struggles on serve continued as she was promptly broken again.
It took Kostyuk fourteen points to hold for the set, but hold she did for the lead.
Once again, Rogowska failed to hold her opening service game. The Australian did again get back on serve in the eighth game as Kostyuk began to tighten with the end in sight.
The 15 year-old regrouped quickly though, and broke again in game eleven. She would never relinquish her own serve again, holding to thirty to take her through to Last 32 in Melbourne for the first time.
She will face 4th seed and compatriot Elina Svitolina in the third round. The 23 year-old dropped the first set to Katerina Siniakova, but eventually prevailed 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Siniakova made a great start but her game dropped noticeably in the second.
The Czech grew more and more uncomfortable and required a medical timeout in the second set. At that point Svitolina had begun to assert her game more. The 4th seed would drop just the one game in the final set.
One seed who did not make it out of round two was Anastasia Pavyluchenkova. The Russian 15th was surprised 6-2, 6-3 by Katerina Bondarenko.
