Former Wimbledon semifinalist Elina Svitolina continued her excellent run in Grand Slams following her maternity break as the Ukrainian wildcard downed 28th seed Elise Mertens 6-1 1-6 6-1 on Thursday to move into the third round.
Svitolina, who returned to the tour in April following the birth of her daughter in October 2022, reached the French Open quarterfinals last month and proved too good for five-time champion Venus Williams in her Wimbledon opener.
Defending champion Elena Rybakina booked her place in the third round but only after surviving a torrid second set against experienced Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, who needed a medical timeout after slipping late in Thursday’s contest.
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