Dramatic scenes at Cincinnati Open as Elena Rybakina tells coach 'If I need something I will ask' during 2R win over Jelena Ostapenko
Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko's clash at the 2023 Cincinnati Open took a dramatic turn when the former directed a heated remark towards her coach, Stefano Vukov.
Following a bye in the first round, Rybakina commenced her campaign at the WTA 1000 event against Ostapenko. In a closely contested opening set, the Latvian battled back from a 3-6 deficit in the tiebreak, winning five points in a row to take the lead.
However, Rybakina raised her level in the second and third sets, claiming a 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-4 victory in two hours and 17 minutes. The Kazakh put up an impressive performance as she capitalized on seven of her 12 break point opportunities. She also displayed her serving prowess, firing off 11 aces to bring her total up to 392 in 2023, extending her lead as this season's ace leader.
A dramatic incident unfolded on Elena Rybakina's serve at 3-2 in the second set. The Kazakh engaged in a rare display of emotion as she informed her coach, Stefano Vukov that she would ask for his assistance if she required it, seemingly shutting down any unsolicited advice from the Croatian.
"If I need something I will ask," she said.
"I didn't expect much from this match but really happy that I managed to win" - Elena Rybakina after Cincinnati Open 2R clash against Jelena Ostapenko
Elena Rybakina's win propelled her to a 3-2 lead in her head-to-head record against Jelena Ostapenko. The World No. 4 expressed happiness at her unexpected victory, divulging that she hadn't practiced on the Cincinnati Open courts prior to the match.
"Really happy. We always have some tough battles with Jelena. It was not easy. To be honest, it was my first hit today on these courts so I didn't expect much from this match but really happy that I managed to win in three sets," she said in her on-court interview.
When questioned about her transition into being a Grand Slam champion, over a year after her triumph at Wimbledon 2022, the Kazakh highlighted the significance of being a Major champion. However, she asserted that she wasn't resting on her laurels as she had further goals to accomplish.
"Thank you so much, first of all to everyone who came to watch us and supported us. Yeah, it's of course a great thing to be a Grand Slam champion but there is a lot for me to improve, a lot of goals so I'm trying not to think about it so much. But of course, it gives confidence for the tournaments," she said.
Elena Rybakina will be up against Jasmine Paolini in the third round of the Cincinnati Open on Thursday, August 17. Paolini defeated Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-3 to book her spot against the Kazakh.