Elina Svitolina advanced to the round of 16 at the Coupe Rogers with a hard-fought 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) win over Canadian Francoise Abanda.
Four breaks cancel each other out as Svitolina wins the opening set in a tiebreak
Abanda recorded her first win at the WTA Tour level with a win in the first round over Saisai Zheng and she got off to a good start in this match, breaking Svitolina to take a 3-2 lead. Svitolina broke back and after breaks were exchanged in the next two games, the score stood at 4-4.
Both players held for the rest of the set to send it to a tiebreak, but Abanda did well to save two break points in the eleventh game. In the tiebreak, Svitolina got minibreaks in the first and fourth points to build a 3-1 lead. Experience showed as Svitolina held her two service points to lead 5-2 and she closed out the set taking both of Abanda's service points to take the opening set tiebreak 7-2 while capturing the set in 56 minutes.
Abanda wastes the lead again as Svitolina takes another tiebreak to advance
Her opportunity to take a lead in the match gone, Abanda was broken in the fourth game as Svitolina now looked to be in full control with a 3-1 lead, but the Canadian showed some resolve, breaking Svitolina to 15 and holding to get even at 3-3. Again, Abanda took the lead with a break, but again Svitolina broke back. This pattern would repeat itself twice more in the set, Abanda failing to hold the lead and unable to serve out the set at both 5-4 and 6-5 ahead, the eighth game particularly galling as she saved four break points before surrendring her serve on the fifth chance.
With another tiebreak on the cards, Abanda got off to much better start, taking a 3-0 lead and a third set was now looking a real possibility. As she had done all match long, Svitolina came from behind and she closed with a furious rush, winning the last seven points to take the second set tiebreak 7-3 and the set in one hour, six minutes and advance to the round of 16 where she will face either Mirjana Lucic-Baroni or second seed Angelique Kerber.
By the numbers
Both players were very effective on break points as Svitolina went 6 for 15 while Abanda was a perfect 6 for 6, but she only won three of her ten service points in both tiebreaks while Svitolina managed to hold on to seven of her nine serve points.