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Elina Svitolina has expressed gratitude towards her husband, Gael Monfils, for his unwavering support during her second-round victory at the French Open.
Svitolina secured a comeback win over Storm Sanders 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday to book her place in the third round. The three-time Roland Garros quarterfinalist is starting to find her feet again after recently making her return at the 2023 Charleston Open.
After her second-round win, Svitolina expressed her appreciation for Monfils and acknowledged the sacrifice he made to be there for her. She also mentioned being high on emotions in the hotel room during her husband's opening round clash at Court Phillippe Chatrier.
"I watched him but not live, I was streaming in my room, so if someone heard me, it's me cheering for Gael. I don't know actually what he's doing here now," Elina Svitolina said.
"I think he should be resting but I'm really thankful for him to come to support me especially in this tough match. Looking forward for his next round. Its his turn now to go and play in the second round, so ya looking forward to the match," she added.
Monfils put up an electrifying performance in the first round, outlasting Argentina's Sebastian Baez in an epic five-set encounter. The Frenchman recovered from a 4-0 deficit in the final set to snap his three-match losing streak and register his first main tour win in over six months.
Svitolina, who recently gave birth to a baby girl named Skai, mentioned how they constantly support each other and how tennis has always played a special role in their lives.
"Well I think we dont know any other way because weve been playing tennis since we are 3-4 years old, for us its in our nature to play tennis. Of course there is lot of tough moments for Gael and for me, but as a family we really understand each other and support each other so much," Elina Svitolina said in her post match interview.
"We try to go through tough moments and produce moments like I had today and like yesterday as well, Gael fought his heart out and played an unbelievable match," she added.
Elina Svitolina to square off against Anna Blinkova in the third round of the French Open
Elina Svitolina will take on Anna Blinkova in the third round of the French Open on Friday. The Ukranian leads the head-to-head against Blinkova 1-0; she recently defeated the Russian 6-2, 6-3 in the 2023 Strasbourg International final.
Blinkova has had a decent start to the 2023 season, garnering 18 wins from 32 matches including a semifinal run at the Hobart International. She'll be aiming to turn the tables and secure a victory against Svitolina in Paris, but the Ukranian will enter the match as the favorite.
Fans can expect an intriguing encounter at the Stade Roland Garros on Friday. The winner of this tie could square off against Peyton Stearns or Daria Kasatkina in the fourth round.
