Everything was going according to plan, but at one moment the game of the Ukrainian player fell apart. What happened?
Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oleynikova has completed her participation in the WTA 500 tournament in the USA. Despite a confident start and winning a set, our athlete could not maintain her advantage in the match against the representative of Uzbekistan.
RBC-Ukraine reports this, citing the match result.
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Unsuccessful start after the final in Antalya
Oleksandra Oleynikova arrived in Charleston right after a successful performance in Turkey, where she reached the final of a challenger event, losing to another Ukrainian, Angelina Kalinina.
In the first round of the American tournament, Oleksandra was drawn against Polina Kudermetova.
Kudermetova, who previously represented Russia, changed her sports citizenship at the end of 2025 and now competes under the flag of Uzbekistan.
Match progression: from leadership to defeat
The match began under Oleynikova’s control. After quickly establishing a two-game lead, the Ukrainian secured the first set with a score of 6:3.
The second set proved to be more tense. Despite starting at 0:2, Oleksandra managed to level the score, taking the game to a tiebreak.
However, at the critical moment, Kudermetova was more stable, confidently taking the decisive points (7:1).
In the third set, the players were even until the score reached 3:3.
At a crucial moment, Oleynikova lost her concentration, allowing her opponent to win three consecutive games, leading to her eventual defeat.
Which Ukrainians remain in the draw
Despite Oleynikova’s exit, Ukraine’s representation in Charleston remains. Two of our tennis players will continue to compete in the tournament:
- Diana Yastremska will face Swiss player Belinda Bencic
- Yulia Starodubtseva will fight for a spot in the next round against “neutral” Ekaterina Alexandrova
Earlier, we reported how Angelina Kalinina lost her title in Croatia after a series of 14 consecutive victories.
