By Shrivathsa Sridhar
PARIS (Reuters) -A determined Elina Svitolina battled from the brink of defeat to overcome last year’s runner-up Jasmine Paolini 4-6 7-6(6) 6-1 and reach the French Open quarter-finals after a thoroughly entertaining battle on Sunday.
Victory came the hard way for Svitolina, who saved three match points in the second set to force a decider. She raised her level from there to earn a last-eight encounter with either 12th seed Elena Rybakina or defending champion Iga Swiatek.
“I still can’t believe this match finished my way, my head is still in it, in a big battle,” said 30-year-old Ukrainian Svitolina, who shed tears of joy after the win.
“Jasmine was playing really well and it was really tough. In the end, I’m happy I could stay composed and fight till the very end. Here I am in the next round.
“I had to be aggressive, stay focused on my gameplan and take small opportunities to win the second set. It was one or two points that decided it and I’m pleased I could win it. In the third set I played really well to close the match.”
Fourth-seeded Paolini twice swapped breaks with Svitolina before holding to love in the ninth game of the match and pouncing to claim the opening set with a scorching forehand winner in the next game.
The diminutive Italian grabbed a 3-1 lead in the second set but 13th seed Svitolina did not let her challenge fade on Court Philippe Chatrier as she recovered two breaks and saved two match points to make it 5-5 before forcing a tiebreak.
The 29-year-old Paolini responded bravely after going 4-1 down and wasted another match point as Svitolina went on to level the contest and pump her fists to loud cheers, before using the momentum to get her nose in front in the decider.
Svitolina pulled away by winning four games in a row before her opponent got on the board and she promptly completed the victory with a searing backhand winner to reach the quarter-finals of Roland Garros for a fifth time.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Paris; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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