It was hardly an affront for Svitolina and Vondrousova, but sometimes players take advantage of the most innocuous insults to fuel their anger. Jo Durie, the former British player turned coach and broadcaster, said that in 1983, at the height of Martina Navratilova’s power, she once dared to publicly declare that she had a chance to beat the great champion.
Durie made the comment after the Australian Open quarterfinals were suspended by one set each due to rain.
“Martina was furious,” Durie recalled Wednesday. “The next day she said to the press, ‘How dare Jo-Jo say that?’ We all have an ego in this sport and we all have to use it at some point.”
Durie said her words were slightly distorted in news reports the following day. But sometimes the smallest things can be used to gain an advantage and until Saturday’s final Svitolina or Vondrousova could look to maintain their side’s honor of the draw should they play Jabeur.
As popular as Svitolina has become, Durie warned that Vondrousova, the least known player alive at the draw, should not be overlooked.
After Vondrousova became a finalist at the 2019 French Open, her career was marred in the wake of injuries. But as a versatile left-hander, she can confuse her opponents with her serve and a variety of shots, from the soft and risky to the overwhelming.
“Wow, is she talented,” Durie said.
Could this then be the stage where Svitolina’s riveting career comes to an end? Or, should she win, will she face Sabalenka, a strong Belarusian player whose nationality makes her something of an enemy of Svitolina?