No.27 seed Elina Svitolina showed off the full range of her skills to go up a set and a break on Ukrainian compatriot Anhelina Kalinina in the US Open second round.
US Open: Scores | Draw | Order of play
The 2019 semifinalist hustled from corner to corner to retrieve Kalinina's aggressive groundstrokes, then turned defense into attack with a hard, flat crosscourt backhand. With Svitolina at net, Kalinina found good height on a running lob.
It might have done the job against most opponents, but Svitolina responded with a stroke of genius. Twisting and leaping into the air, she came up with an audacious backhand overhead drop shot that combined the athleticism of a slam dunk with creativity and finesse.
Svitolina went on to win 6-1, 6-2, her third win in as many meetings with Kalinina, to set up a marquee third-round clash with No.3 seed and defending champion Coco Gauff -- a rematch of January's Auckland final, which Gauff won 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3. Their overall head-to-head is tied at one win apiece.
![[8] Katie Volynets d. Erika Andreeva 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-2, Auckland R1 (3:05). Volynets led 5-3 in the second set and held her first match point in the tiebreak, but recovered to win in three.](https://photoresources.wtatennis.com/photo-resources/2024/12/30/e9a1b4a0-5b65-46b4-80cd-d00eb2336fa2/Volynets-R1-OH.jpg?width=451&height=268)
