The first set was hard fought on both sides of the net, and the outcome was settled largely by the big-point steadfastness of Svitolina. In the third game, she survived an arduous ten deuces on her serve, fending off six break points before holding on for 2-1. Svitolina did it all at those crucial moments, defending artfully, serving intelligently, covering the court with alacrity and standing her ground magnificently from the backcourt. She closed out that game with an impressive forehand down the line winner behind Pliskova and a well placed serve to the backhand that elicited an error.
Now it was Pliskova’s turn to escape from a precarious position. She served her way out of two break points, holding on for 2-2 with an ace. But Svitolina was clearly the sharper of the two competitors. She held at love and then broke at love—despite the fact that Pliskova did not miss a first serve in the sixth game. On to 4-2 went Svitolina, as Pliskova produced three errant forehands in a row that were the product of bad timing.
Svitolina surged to 5-2, holding at 30. Two games later, serving for the set, Svitolina was twice down break point, but she saved one with an impeccable backhand down the line winner and the other with excellent depth off the forehand. First set to Svitolina, 6-3.
But Pliskova made amends in the second set. From 2-2, she swept 16 of 20 points and four consecutive games to capture the set convincingly. Pliskova’s serving location was significantly improved. She dropped only four points on her delivery in the set, and Svitolina pressed at times, trying uncharacteristically to hit her way out of trouble.
In the third set, however, Svitolina found her range again off the ground and returned serve superbly, allowing Pliskova to hold serve only once. Pliskova double faulted to fall behind 15-40 in the opening game of that last set, and that was an expensive mistake. Svitolina broke at 15 for 1-0, held at love for 2-0, and then broke again for 3-0 after Pliskova rallied from 15-40 to deuce. The unrelenting consistency of Svitolina off the ground was the determining factor. She held at 15 for 4-0 and seemed poised to run out the match comfortably.
That was not the case. A prideful Pliskova took two games in a row, yet Svitolina was undismayed. With Pliskova serving at 15-40 in the seventh game, Svitolina drove her two-hander with extraordinary depth, coaxing an error from her 26-year-old adversary. An elated Svitolina had broken again for 5-2, yet she double faulted at 30-40 in the following game.
Pliskova served with new balls to stay in the match at 3-5—to no avail. Although she fought off two match points from 15-40 to deuce, Pliskova was only delaying the inevitable. A determined Svitolina soon garnered a third match point. She converted this one stylishly, sending a fine return at the feet of Pliskova, setting up a forehand passing shot winner.
The 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 triumph was hard earned by the victor. No one should take Svitolina lightly the rest of the way in Singapore. The 24-year-old seems to be peaking at precisely the right time to end the year in style.
