'Perfectionist' Svitolina sets up Muguruza clash

Jana Cepelova of Slovak in action against Elina svitolina of Ukraine during day two of the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship at the Dubai Duty Free Stadium on 16th Feb 2016 Photo By: Rahul Gajjar

Elina Svitolina, the 2010 junior French Open champion, is making rapid progress on the senior Tour. With a clinical display in her 6-3 6-1 first round win over qualifier Jana Cepelova, the Ukrainian youngster showed why she has been rated so highly by the pundits.
Her next opponent at the Dubai Tennis Championships will be somebody who has the game to be a future Grand Slam winner.
"She (Garbine Muguruza) is good player. She was No. 2 and now, she is top 5. So she's good player. But I just need to play my game, to focus on my things. That's what is the most important for now," the 21-year old Svitolina said at the post-match Press conference on Tuesday. "I don't really want to see who is playing on the other side. For me is just important to play my game, to do what I do on the practice court."
Svitolina, whose biggest sporting idols are the Klitschko brothers, says she pushes herself too hard to be as good as she can be.
"I think a little bit of everything. I'm a bit perfectionist. So everything has to be perfect, so that's why sometimes it's really annoying, I think, but I try to stay realistic.
"I have been like this because I have a brother and I have always been so competitive and everything needed to be perfect. So, for me, I think it just builds my personality.
"My brother is nine years older. He was coaching me and I was all the time playing against him. So it was fun, but at the same time I wanted to win all the time.
"So, I have always been so strict with myself, but probably it helped me in one way but in the other way it didn't help me because sometimes I'm too sad that something didn't work in the practice or in the match. Sometimes it can distract all my game. "So for two years when I had this transition, I was trying to find this balance. So that was the key for me. I think it was quite good. Okay, it's not perfect but nobody is perfect," said the 2015 French Open quarterfinalist.
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com