Marta Kostyuk achieved a personal best result at the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday by defeating 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in a three-set match. This victory marked a significant milestone, being only her second main-draw win in seven appearances at the tournament.
Entering this year`s event in the Spanish capital, the Ukrainian player had a career record of just one win against six losses in Madrid, with three consecutive defeats occurring in the second round. However, her hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 win over the former US Open champion propelled the No. 24 seed into the third round for the very first time. Kostyuk is now set to face Veronika Kudermetova for a place in the Round of 16.
Beyond overcoming Raducanu, who secured her first outdoor clay-court victory in three years in the opening round, Kostyuk also had to contend with physical challenges. After winning the first set, she received a medical timeout to address an apparent wrist issue. Despite this concern, she managed to shake it off and complete the match, which lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes on court.
Key Numbers from the Win:
2: This win was Kostyuk`s second victory in three career meetings against Raducanu. It also allowed her to avenge their previous encounter in Madrid, which also happened in the second round in 2022. In that match, Raducanu defeated Kostyuk with a score of 6-2, 6-1, while seeded No. 9.
3: Kostyuk`s success guarantees that three Ukrainian players will participate in the third round. No. 17 seed Elina Svitolina also advanced on Friday, defeating Great Britain`s Sonay Kartal 6-3, 6-1. Like Kostyuk, Svitolina had a losing record in Madrid prior to this tournament. They are joined by qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, who won her second-round match after Karolina Muchova withdrew due to illness.
4: Both players demonstrated the ability to string together games. Raducanu won four consecutive games to secure the second set. Kostyuk responded in kind by winning four straight games in the final set to clinch the match. Interestingly, in all three sets, the player who established an early 2-0 lead ultimately won the set, often after the opponent managed to level the score briefly before the winner pulled ahead.
11: The match featured a high number of service breaks, totaling 11. Kostyuk was successful on six of her 16 break point opportunities, while Raducanu converted five out of her seven chances.
To continue her best-ever run at the Madrid Open, Kostyuk`s next challenge is Veronika Kudermetova. This will be their first match since 2021. Kudermetova advanced to the third round with a hard-fought three-set victory over Spanish lucky loser Cristina Bucsa, where she had to save a match point in a 4-6, 7-6(1), 7-5 comeback win.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth