The third-ranked tennis player from Ukraine showed her character in the opening match of the prestigious tournament in Charleston, breaking a streak of setbacks.
The third domestic racket, Dayana Yastremska (WTA 49), triumphantly kicked off the clay season at the WTA 500 tournament in Charleston (USA). In the very first round, the Ukrainian faced resistance from a “neutral” opponent.
Details of the match are reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the match result.
Also read: Surpassing the Italian and striving for the top: Svitolina stunned with her new ranking status.
WTA 500. Charleston (USA). 1/32 finals
Dayana Yastremska (Ukraine) – Anastasia Zakharova – 7:5, 6:2
A determined victory for the Ukrainian
The match against Anastasia Zakharova (WTA 66) started off challenging for the Ukrainian. In the first set, Dayana was trailing 2:4, but she managed to stabilize her game, break back, and clinch the set – 7:5.
In the second set, Yastremska’s advantage was undeniable: the Ukrainian dropped only two games and converted her third match point – 6:2. The match lasted 1 hour and 38 minutes.
A historic moment and challenges ahead
This victory was particularly special for Yastremska, as it marked her first career advancement past the first round of the main draw in Charleston. Her previous attempts in 2018 and 2024 ended in first-round defeats.
However, there is little time to celebrate – a real test awaits the Ukrainian in the second round. Dayana’s next opponent will be the tournament’s third seed, the 12th-ranked player in the world, Belinda Bencic from Switzerland. The two players have faced each other five times so far, with the Swiss holding the advantage (4:1), and all previous matches were played exclusively on hard courts.
Also competing in the Charleston tournament are the fourth and fifth domestic rackets – Oleksandra Oleinikova (WTA 71) and Yulia Starodubtseva (WTA 89). They will play their first-round matches on Tuesday, March 31.
Earlier, we reported how Angelina Kalinina lost her title in Croatia after a streak of 14 consecutive victories.
