After engineering one of the shots of the year in her previous match at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, Marta Kostyuk’s encore wasn’t so bad.
Dealing with a blustery wind and an opponent who has soared in the rankings in the last year and a half, the Ukrainian overcame McCartney Kessler 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to reach her first NBO quarter-final.
“It was an insane match,” said Kostyuk, in Montreal with her now famous dog, Mander.
The wind no doubt contributed to both players reaching double digits in double faults. Kessler chipped in 12 to Kostyuk’s 10, although the winner only tallied three in the final two sets.
A shift in mindset helped.
“Sometimes (the wind) was really helping me. Sometimes it was really bothering me and not helping me at all,” said Kostyuk. “It was really difficult so at some point I decided not to adapt to it because it’s really not possible and I was spending too much energy on figuring out where it blows.”
When they squared off last year at the US Open, Kessler needed a wildcard and exited in straight sets. That came right after winning her first title in Cleveland, never an easy transition when the turnaround is so quick.
She’s improved so much that the former NCAA star benefited from a seeding in Montreal in her debut, 28th compared to Kostyuk’s 24th.
Not much, indeed, separated the talented, feisty duo in the first set. Kostyuk held two set points receiving at 5-4 but Kessler saved them both. A deflated looking Kostyuk made four unforced errors in the next game to get broken and Kessler closed out the first in an extended game.
The tricky conditions didn’t stop the pair from showcasing their all-round games. They ventured forward yet also won points after incredible defending.
In the final two sets, Kessler was under enormous pressure on serve, facing break points in all but one game (and 20 overall).
But after hanging on, Kessler – who upset fourth-seed Mirra Andreeva in the third round – earned a break point at 4-3 in the third. A tense, patient rally ensued until Kessler went big from the baseline.
Kostyuk’s forehand on defense only just cleared the net but later, she ended the point with a sizzling backhand down the line.
That was Kessler’s last chance.
The wins in Montreal for Kostyuk came after she lost six matches in a row, a spell she termed “unlucky.”
“It was really not easy at all but these sorts of things can happen to anyone,” said Kostyuk. “You feel like you are doing everything right and something like this happened. Obviously, it was not a pleasure to be in it but we’re all human beings. I’m glad I’m on the other side now.”
Saturday’s shot of the match probably went to Kessler. In the opening set after touching lines, she capped an absorbing exchange with a terrific volley finish.
But it might not have matched Kostyuk’s effort against Daria Kasatkina in the previous round, when Kostyuk fell in a third-set tiebreaker prior to picking herself up and depositing a forehand winner to end the point.
What was the reaction?
“It was actually a very famous shot, I’d say,” said Kostyuk, a smile beaming across her face. “It was insane and I honestly don’t know how I did it. A little bit of luck, a bit of fast running, but it was great.”
Photo: Mathieu Bélanger
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