Magdalena Fręch suffered a painful defeat in Montreal. 68 minutes and it's over.
Magdalena Fręch has been searching for a breakthrough for a long time. This season, she's regularly been eliminated in the third round or earlier, including at the Australian Open (third round), Roland Garros (second round), and Wimbledon, where she bowed out after her first match. Things only started to pick up last week in Washington.
There, the 27-year-old Pole defeated Yulia Starodubtseva 6-2, 6-4, and then comfortably defeated the legendary Venus Williams 6-2, 6-2, reaching the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament. Despite losing to Yelena Rybakina (3-6, 3-6), Fręch was able to leave the US capital with her head held high. She showed solid tennis and gave herself hope for a strong summer in North America.
Montreal was supposed to be a continuation of this form. As fate would have it, she faced Starodubtseva again in the second round. However, this time, the tables were turned. Fręch looked lost from the start, making numerous unforced errors and failing to find a rhythm, while the Ukrainian ruthlessly exploited every opportunity. The Pole didn't win the first game until 0-5 down, and that was her only positive note in the set.
The second set was similar. Fręch was unable to break her opponent's dominance. Starodubtseva played confidently, aggressively, and flawlessly, and the match ended after just 68 minutes, 6-1, 6-1 in favor of the Ukrainian. It's noteworthy that Starodubtseva won a staggering 88% of her first-serve points. The Polish player was unable to inflict any damage on her opponent's return.
For Fręch, this is a painful reality check after a strong performance in Washington, but the American journey doesn't end there. On August 4th, she faces a tournament in Cincinnati, where all the world's top players, including Iga Świątek, will be competing. It's another chance to show her strengths before the upcoming US Open.
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