She’ll be favoured in her semifinal today, against world No 73 Xinyu Wang. The Chinese player has had a memorable week but might find it hard to live with Svitolina in her current form.
Wang will also have to recover from her own quarter-final, which stretched over three hours as she outlasted Frenchwoman Diane Parry 6-7(3) 6-3 6-4. However, Wang can’t be completely underestimated, with three career top-20 wins, including Emma Raducanu.
World No 3 Gauff will be an unbackable favourite in the other semifinal, against compatriot Emma Navarro (31), to make back to back finals here.
Svitolina stormed out of the blocks on Friday night. It was another late start – almost 10pm – but the Ukraine player showed no signs of fatigue after Thursday’s epic comeback win over Raducanu, which was one of the best matches in tournament history.
For Svitolina, the first set was beautiful. Bouzkova is a talent – with four wins over top-10 players, including Gauff in Rome last year – and she had beaten Svitolina once in their three previous meetings. But the world No 34 was stunned into submission.
Svitolina, wearing leggings and a long shirt, had the full repertoire, with beautiful timing, crisp power and great judgment. Her flat hitting was something to behold, especially off the backhand wing.
She had seven break opportunities, taking three, and her confidence was exhibited with a wonderful angled volley in the fifth game, after a precise drop shot, before she skipped away in delight.
“I was working on my volleys a lot during the off season,” said Svitolina. “I was happy to get that point because it was a really tough get, the volley.”
The first set was over in 25 minutes. To her credit, Bouzkova fought back, gaining an early break in the second set. But Svitolina showed her mettle – fending off two break points at 1-3 down – before reeling off four consecutive games.
She admits she is feeling fatigue, after the long battles with Caroline Wozniacki and Raducanu.
“We try to do everything possible,” said Svitolina. “I cannot say that I am fresh but the first tournament [of the year] it always takes a little bit more out of the body and we are taking it one day at a time.”
It’s early in the season but Svitolina feels her level is higher than in 2023, when she reached the Wimbledon semifinals, the last eight at Roland Garros and took out a title at Strasbourg.
“I am moving better, building the points much better,” said Svitolina. “Of course 2023 was a comeback year for me and it was a little bit different. Now I feel more comfortable, more composed with my game because I had two months to work on it. I’m happy so far and I’ll try to continue the same way.”
Her progress in Auckland has been unexpected
“Before the tournament I didn’t even think that I could be in a semifinal – because I was just trying to prepare for each match,” said Svitolina. “But now it is another opportunity to make a final in such a great event, so I am enjoying myself.”
