These tennis dismantling ended with a real bang! In the victory of Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk against the Russian Anna Blinkova in the third round of Miami Miami, Kostyuk ended the game with a blow that is as controversial as it is spectacular.
With a 6: 2-6: 1 gala, Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk reached the third round of Miami’s WTA master on Sunday evening. The 22-year-old needed just an hour to put Anna Blinkova from Russia in her place. Above all, however, the way in which Kostyuk converted her first match ball is memorable.
At 5: 1 from Kostyuk’s point of view in the second round, the Ukrainian has to ward off two break balls before being able to develop a match ball herself – followed by the scene that causes discussions.
Kostyuk let the ball hit four times, but did not throw up the fil ball as usual, but also served with a slight cut from below. Of course, the ball does not really get speed, but sails over the net, but hardly jumps up on Blinkova’s side and turns unstoppable. The completely surprised Blinkova still starts the sprint, but breaks it off just as quickly.
Choice of the opponent certainly not by chance
The fifth ASS from Kostyuk ensures murmur in the ranks, but Kosytuk wrestles a wide smile.
The serve from the forearm is quite controversial on the professional tour and is considered unsportsmanlike, which also proves some comments that the scene spread by the WTA on social media. “Unnecessary” and “disrespectful”, some users judge, but the majority cheered Kostyuk’s action.
Kostyuk herself, which also spreads the video on her Instagram account, underpins in her Insta story that she even practiced the surcharge variant in training. “Forearm supervisory surcharge for victory. Training pays off,” writes Kosytuk, provided with a total of four laughing smileys. Kostyuk also posts a video that she shows in training, uses that unconventional surcharge.
However, it should not be a coincidence that Kostyuk used the variant on the tour against Blinkova. Unlike in many other sports, athletes from Russia are still allowed to start after the beginning of the war of aggression that Russia leads to Ukraine. Longly surprisingly, Kostyuk Blinkova also refused the mandatory handshake after the game.