Watch out for Marta
15-year-old reaches third round of Australian Open
Shortly after Marta Kostyuk became the youngest woman to reach the third round of a tennis Grand Slam in 21 years, she seemed to be struggling with the post-match interest in her precocious talent.
“Scary,” Kostyuk, 15, said Wednesday as she looked out at a crowded media room after advancing in the Australian Open. “But, OK.” Kostyuk quickly adapted in typical fashion, demonstrating a sense of humility and self-awareness that belied her age.
“I heard a lot of times that I’m talented, and I know that, but I know that only talent will not help me to play,” she said.
“So I can say that I’m working pretty hard.”
Kostyuk, ranked 521st, received a wild card into the qualifying draw after winning the junior title in Melbourne last year. She won three matches in the qualifying rounds to reach the main draw, and then opened the tournament with a victory over 25th-seeded Peng Shuai, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round Monday.
Consistency was a problem for Kostyuk on Wednesday, but she was able to beat another wild card, Olivia Rogowska, an Australian ranked No. 168 in the world, 6-3, 7-5.
“I didn’t feel like she was 15 at all,” Rogowska said. “Power of her shots was up there. She served really well at times.”
Kostyuk, who is from Ukraine, is managed by Ivan Ljubicic, who once rose as high as No. 3 in the world rankings and also coaches Roger Federer. Her mother, Talina Beiko, also took up coaching after a professional career, which compelled Kostyuk to spend time on the court.
“I wanted to see her a lot, so I was practicing,” Kostyuk said in an interview with WTA Insider.
Beiko received a coaching violation during the match, a penalty that annoyed Kostyuk because she did not see whatever signal her mother was sending her.
“I was so mad,” Kostyuk said, smiling. “But actually when I’m mad, it’s helping.”
WTA rules dictate that 15-yearolds are limited to 10 tournaments, but her top-five finish in the junior rankings last year allows her to play in an additional two competitions.
There will be time for her to contemplate her future schedule, but for now there is a more pressing issue: She will face fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina, the best women’s player Ukraine has produced, on Friday in the third round.
Svitolina, 23, is coming off a title at the WTA tournament in Brisbane and would be a prohibitive favourite under normal circumstances. Svitolina, however, said she has been struggling with unspecified “injury issues” before and during the tournament, and appeared unsure about her fitness.