The Premier 5 event from Dubai came to its conclusion having a brand new WTA rising star on top. Elina Svitolina from Ukraine clinched her first Premier 5 title and she secured a spot in the WTA Top 10 starting from Monday when the ranking will be updated. The 22-year-old ends a phenomenal week of tennis paved with stunning wins. What was merely a young hope back in 2016, turned out to be one of the biggest confirmations for a newcomer.
Wozniacki had no counter for such determination
Prior to the final, the Dane had a slight advantage as she was the experienced player with a long history in the WTA spotlight.
But the former world no. 1 seemed a bit off. The cause may be that she had 2 WTA events in a row, playing the finals of both. Last week's outcome repeated today as Svitolina soared, winning in 2 sets 6-4, 6-2. The opening set was even-tempered in its first part. In the 5th game, Caroline Wozniacki lost on her own service game and that turned out to be the key of the set. The Ukrainian left nothing unchecked and never lost on her serve.
The 2nd act had its moment when the Dane could have turned the table the other way around but Svitolina's eagerness was simply stronger. Eventually, she went on to win the set 6-2, capping the match with an amazing winner -- a backhand down the line in response to an aggressive crosscourt return.
With the ball landing on the line, Svitolina made a huge statement and her progression throughout the remaining season is something worth watching in the following months.
Svitolina finally had a breakthrough
It's always a great deal of excitement when the newcomers are threatening the top assembly. Taking her first steps inside the top 10 opens a new door for the Ukrainian.
But, she had to deal with her demons too. Last year, as she got better and better she got stuck somewhere between the 10th and the 20th position, with minor fluctuations. Evidently, what she needed was a big win in order to reassess her future goals, and that is exactly what she got.
