Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk advanced to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after defeating “neutral” Russian Maria Timofeeva, as reported by The Guardian.
The Ukrainian community in Australia actively supported the Ukrainian athlete. “Marta Kostyuk, you have done yourself proud. You have done Ukraine proud. We are proud of you. Congratulations! We are together. We are Ukrainians. Glory to Ukraine!” wrote Sonja VandeCamp Moravski, one of the match spectators.
The match lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes, resulting in 6:2, 6:1 – a clear victory for Kostyuk. Next, Marta Kostyuk will compete for a spot in the semifinals against American Coco Gauff – the fourth-ranked player in the world and the current US Open champion.
Kostyuk became the first Ukrainian tennis player to reach the knockout matches in the quarterfinals of tournament play. Elina Svitolina and Dayana Yastremska also reached this stage of the Australian Open. However, Svitolina, for the third time in her career and the first time since 2019, could not complete her match due to injury.
At the same time, Yastremska and Kostyuk set a new national record, as the Ukrainian Tennis Federation reported. For the first time in history, two Ukrainian tennis players advanced to the Australian Open’s quarterfinals.
Cover: James Ross/EPA
