Staff Reporter.
Ukrainian top seed Elina Svitolina crashed out of the WTA Monterrey tournament on Friday, losing in three sets to Colombia’s Camila Osorio.
Svitolina –- who had vowed to donate all of her prize money from the tournament to the Ukrainian military after Russia’s invasion of her homeland – looked to be cruising into the semifinals after taking the first set 6-1.
But fifth seed Osorio roared back to level before recovering from a double break down to win the third set on a tie-break to seal a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) victory.
“I never gave up in any moment,” Osorio said on court, after her win. “I was 6-1 down, and I just kept fighting, and I kept grinding point by point. I’m really proud of that.”
Svitolina’s exit marked the end of an emotional tournament for the world number 15.
Svitolina had initially vowed to boycott her first-round match after being drawn against Russia’s Anastasia Potapova.
But a decision from the WTA and ATP Tours ruling that Russian players must compete under a neutral banner –- rather than the Russian flag –- saw Svitolina compete as planned, defeating Potapova 6-2, 6-1.
Earlier on Friday, two tussles which took over 3 hours apiece determined the event’s first two semifinalists.
In Friday’s opening match, No.6 seed Nuria Parrizas Diaz outlasted her fellow Spaniard, No.4 seed Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in 3 hours and 2 minutes.
In the first meeting between the compatriots, 51st-ranked Parrizas Diaz prevailed over last year’s Monterrey semifinalist Sorribes Tormo, who is ranked No.36. With the victory, 30-year-old Parrizas Diaz reaches her first career tour-level semifinal after going 0-3 in her previous quarterfinals.
Parrizas Diaz will now take on Osorio in the semifinals.