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Australian Open tennis: Elina Svitolina reveals hip injury struggles
A hip injury troubled Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open tennis tournament, where the Ukrainian exited in the quarter-finals.
Elina Svitolina revealed she battled a hip injury throughout the Australian Open tennis tournament after making a quarter-final exit on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian fourth seed suffered a surprise 6-4 6-0 loss to Elise Mertens in their last-eight clash in Melbourne.
Svitolina, who is now 0-3 in major quarters, said she had been troubled by a hip injury since her title win at the Brisbane International to begin the year.
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“I started to feel it actually after the final in Brisbane. Then it was getting worse and then was up and down,” the 23-year-old said.
“I always had the tape, a heavy tape under the shorts. So, sometimes, it was fine, but today she’s playing a good level, so I had to push myself.
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“She didn’t give me opportunities. All the credit to her, because she played really good tennis… I couldn’t really match it.”
Svitolina, whose run to the last eight was her best in Melbourne, said she was unsure if, or for how long, the injury would sideline her.
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“I will see what I have to do. Speak with my team. I didn’t speak with them,” she said.
“Of course we tried to do our best to prepare for the grand slam. It’s not every day I’m playing a quarter-final so I had to give everything.”
