Photo: EPA
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina reached the semifinals of the Auckland WTA 250 tournament on January 9.
In a tough quarterfinal match, Svitolina (WTA No. 13) defeated Britain’s Sonay Kartal (WTA No. 68) 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5). She made a comeback in the second set, overcoming a 2-5 deficit, and clinched the victory in the decisive set via a tiebreak. In the semifinals, Svitolina will face 18-year-old American Iva Jovic. This marks the 48th semifinal of Svitolina’s career.
The Auckland tournament runs from January 5 to 11 and is Svitolina’s first event of the season following nearly a four-month break. The 31-year-old ended her 2025 season early in September due to emotional fatigue.
Svitolina is the top seed in Auckland and reached the final of the tournament two years ago.
