Teenage sensation next in line
That next challenge will be up against teenage sensation Leylah Fernandez, who has enthralled the US Open crowds with compelling comebacks against defending champion Naomi Osaka and 2016 winner Kerber.
Svitolina is wary.
“We played once in Monterrey (2020). She was striking the ball already good there. It was a tough match for me (6-4, 7-5 win). I really saw in that time that she can play great tennis,” recalled Svitolina, a 2019 US Open semi-finalist.
“Right now we can see that she improved. She started to believe more, I guess, in herself. Beating Naomi, it's a good sign that she's playing well. For me it's important to focus on my game and to bring my best game to quarter-final.”
For 18-year-old Fernandez, breaking new ground on the major stage, it’s been a spectacular introduction to the second week of a Grand Slam.
“I did have to pinch myself a little bit to see that it actually happened, but I knew that my tennis, my level of tennis is there,” stated the assured Canadian.
“It's just a moment of time, opportunity, and I'm glad that I was able to get this opportunity now and that I was able to showcase what I can do in front of these players.”
In the zone Svitolina versus a fired-up Fernandez. Make sure you tune in.