WATCH: Svitolina silences doubters with clutch win

There’s nothing like Wimbledon hype for big matches, even if it was only round one. In what was billed as the best match of the first round, Elina Svitolina felt the rumblings that No. 56 Ashleigh Barty had a puncher’s chance to pull off the upset.

The match certainly built its drama early as some reemphasized that a Barty win would not be that surprising.

Svitolina responded by squeaking out the first set, but struggled to put away the feisty Australian. The tiebreaker saw Svitolina hold five match points that were erased until she finally converted the sixth one on a Barty unforced error. All of this with a little rain delay sandwiched inside the match to keep the suspense on ice.

It was a great escape for Svitolina whose participation at Wimbledon was somewhat in doubt after a heel injury in Birmingham. Add in the growing expectations of becoming a major contender, the 22-year-old looked to air out both her relief and satisfaction of defeating a tough first-round opponent.

Next up for Svitolina is veteran Francesca Schiavone (the 2010 French Open). Pick against the Ukraine at your peril.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @JeremyEckstein1

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