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Starodubtseva Stuns Rybakina at Roland Garros
27 May
Summary
- Unseeded Starodubtseva defeated second seed Rybakina in a thrilling three-set match.
- Rybakina's early exit marks her worst Roland Garros performance since 2020.
- Starodubtseva secured her first top-10 victory, overcoming 71 unforced errors.
Unseeded Ukrainian tennis player Yuliia Starodubtseva delivered a stunning performance at Roland Garros, eliminating the second seed, Elena Rybakina. The match concluded with Starodubtseva winning 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-4) in a gripping contest. This marks a significant upset, as Rybakina, a previous Australian Open champion, has not been eliminated before the third round at Roland Garros since 2020.
Starodubtseva, currently ranked 55th globally, has now secured her first career victory over a top-10 opponent. The match was a dramatic affair, with Rybakina dominating the second set. However, Starodubtseva rallied in the third, capitalizing on Rybakina's 71 unforced errors to clinch the win. She expressed pride in her performance after a challenging final set.
This early departure for the second seed is the latest in a series of surprising outcomes at Roland Garros, mirroring Barbora Krejčíková's first-round exit in 2022. Starodubtseva's next challenge will be against either the 26th seed, Hailey Baptiste, or China's Wang Xiyu, who is a qualifier.
