Elina Svitolina faces "stateless" Kudermetova in the Australian Open Round of 16, showcasing her prowess against Russian opponents.
The 30-year-old from Odesa has a significant advantage in head-to-head encounters with tennis players from the aggressor country, boasting 43 victories against 24 losses. The last time Svitolina faced a Russian opponent was in May 2024 in Rome, where she defeated Anna Kalinskaya (6:3, 6:3).
In Grand Slam tournaments, Svitolina also holds a clear edge over representatives from Russia, with 11 wins and 3 losses. Notably, her last loss occurred back in 2017 when she fell to Pavlyuchenkova in the third round of the Australian Open (7:5, 4:6, 6:3). Since then, she has won 8 consecutive matches.
Regarding the Australian major, apart from her loss to the aforementioned Pavlyuchenkova, Svitolina defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2014. Her match against Kudermetova will only mark her third encounter at the Australian Open against Russian players.
Since the onset of Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, Svitolina has not lost a single match to Russian players, achieving 7 victories.
Summary
Elina Svitolina against Russians in the WTA tour:
- 67 matches – 43 wins, 24 losses.
Elina Svitolina against Russians in Grand Slam tournaments:
- 14 matches – 11 wins, 3 losses.
Elina Svitolina against Russians since February 24, 2022:
- 7 matches – 7 wins.