Roland Garros 2025: Ukrainian Women Recap – Round 3

Dayana Yastremska suffered a straight-sets defeat to neutral player Liudmila Samsonova, 2–6, 3–6. The result, however, does not reflect the full picture: Yastremska took to the court while unwell and reportedly developed a fever of 39°C after the match. Despite her condition, she fought with determination.

Yuliia Starodubtseva, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser, also saw her campaign end with a 4–6, 1–6 loss to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. Nevertheless, this marked the best Grand Slam result of her career. The 25-year-old reached the third round – her best showing so far at a major – and continues to impress.

Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina advanced to the fourth round after a gritty win over American Bernarda Pera – 7–6(4), 7–6(5). In the first set, she was down 2–4 but showed remarkable mental resilience to level the score and confidently close out the tie-break. In the second set, she missed two match points at 6–5 and then trailed 2–4 in the tie-break. However, summoning her trademark focus and competitive spirit, Svitolina turned the momentum in her favour and sealed the set 7–5.

The final score in total points won was 103 to 91 in favour of Svitolina. She also delivered her fastest serve of the match at 182 km/h – a testament to the excellent physical condition she has achieved following surgery she underwent last year. Her movement, endurance, and power on court reflect the hard work she’s put in to return to top form.

Svitolina will next face Paolini in what promises to be a compelling fourth-round encounter. The pair last met at the 2025 Australian Open, where Svitolina came from behind to win 2–6, 6–4, 6–0.

Author: Tetyana German-Shakhly

Specially for Espreso