After 17 breaks, Elina Svitolina scores second straight win over Victoria Azarenka

From Wimbledon to Washington, from grass courts to hard, Elina Svitolina is turning the tide on a once-one-sided rivalry with Victoria Azarenka.

Coming into the season’s third major, Azarenka held a 5-0 lead over Svitolina in their head-to-head. But in the span of four weeks, the Ukrainian has added two wins to her side of the ledger. First was a match-of-the-year candidate in Wimbledon’s fourth round, when Svitolina lost the first set 6-2 but ultimately prevailed in a deciding tiebreaker.

On Monday night in the United States capital, Svitolina didn’t require such lengths to oust Azarenka for the second time this month. But her performance, particularly at the end of this 7-6 (2), 6-4 first-rounder, recalled the bold ball-striking and ultra-quick bounce that took Svitolina all the way to the final in SW19:

Like their previous encounter, this match didn’t end with a handshake—a decision communicated to the audience beforehand, in order to prevent potential confusion-laden jeering—but even the Belarusian gave the Ukrainian a thumbs up after walking to her chair in defeat.

The two-set match featured 17 service breaks. Or, to put it another wat, many deficits overcome. Svitolina raced to a 3-0, double-break lead before giving it all back and then some to Azarenka, who served for the first set at 5-3. Then at 5-3, 30-0.

Then, she was broken.

Svitolina’s subsequent three-game run—her second of the set, sandwiched around five straight Azarenka games—gave her a chance to serve out the set. She was broken. But not broken to the point of failure, as she won 7 of 9 points to take the eventual tiebreak.

When Svitolina gave herself another opportunity to serve out a set, at 5-3 in the second, cameras showed a quote above her in the stadium: “Heart of the nation, love of the game.” It would be difficult to find a better descriptor for the 28-year-old from Odessa.

Like the first set, Svitolina couldn’t close on her first opportunity—and like the first set, she still won it, this time after two more service breaks.

“She’s played just a little harder and safer in the big moments today,” said ATP player Jenson Brooksby on Tennis Channel. “That’s the only difference between these two.”

To play hard and safe is a delicate combination, but with all that Svitolina is juggling, it’s no wonder she was able to pull it off.