Brisbane International: Elina Svitolina knocks off another No 1

It’s becoming a habit for Elina Svitolina to upset world No 1s and unfortunately Angelique Kerber has been on the wrong end.

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza serves during her quarter-final win over Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia yesterday.

It’s becoming a habit for Elina Svitolina to upset world No 1s and unfortunately Angelique Kerber has been on the wrong end of those beatings twice in a row now.

The 22-year-old from Ukraine marked her spot on the tour in 2016 by being the only player to defeat two No 1s in the same year. She took out Serena Williams in the third round of the Rio Olympics in August and then in October she knocked off newly crowned Kerber at the China Open.

Last night, Kerber copped it again when Svitolina, the world No 14 and sixth seed in Brisbane, handed the 28-yar-old German another defeat in the Brisbane quarter-finals 6-4 3-6 6-3.

“Of course this is only the first tournament of the year but it’s always nice to start it off in a good way and it’s always nice to play Angie,” Svitolina told the Seven Network.

“She fights for every ball and I did really, really well to handle that.”

Svitolina now meets the woman Kerber beat in last year’s US Open final to claim the world No 1 ranking, Karolina Pliskova, in today’s Brisbane semi-finals.

Fourth seed Garbine Muguruza will face unseeded Alize Cornet of France in the other semi-final for a spot in tomorrow night’s women’s final for the Evonne Goolagong Cawley Cup.

Svitolina came close two years ago to getting her name engraved on it, losing to Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals. She has only improved her never-say-die mantra since then.

The girl from Odessa seemed to be watching last night’s match slip away from her as the wily German started to flatten out her returns deeper and deeper into the court.

But then receiving at 4-3 in the final set, despite squandering three break points, Svitolina just dug her heels in further and set up success in a fourth. She served for the match at 5-3 and was helped by Kerber’s backhand sailing wide.

“It will be a great match against Karolina. She’s a big server, big shot-maker so I’m excited.” Maybe the Brisbane organisers are less so since they have lost their women’s drawcard as the reigning Australian and US Open champion. But Muguruza gathered myriad fans losing to Williams in the 2015 Wimbledon final and then beating Williams in Paris last June to claim the French Open.

In truth, she has already done enough work to win Brisbane in terms of the hours of labour she has put in on Pat Rafter Arena.

She has played almost eight hours of tennis in three consecutive wins over Australia’s Sam Stosur, then Russian pair Daria Kasatkina and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Yesterday’s 7-5 6-4 was absorbing although the St Petersburg native blamed herself for not being determined enough to win.

Muguruza’s tournament has been no picnic.

“I’ve had a really tough draw here,” the 23-year-old said, since Stosur and Kuznetsova are also grand slam champions. “So thanks that I come from a good pre-season. Maybe I’m stronger than at the end of the season.”

The world No 7 and fourth seed in Brisbane says she won’t run out of puff. “I’m not worried. I know with Cornet it is going to be a battle, a fighter, so I expect another touch match. I think it’s good.”