Tennis pundit screams on commentary after Canadian Open star's slip on court

Daily Mirror

6 days ago

Fans are often on the edge of their seats when tennis is at its best, and the excitement of a tense rally involving Marta Kostyuk also got the better of a commentator
Marta Kostyuk sent the tennis commentators crazy after winning one of the points of the year. At the Canadian Open, the Ukrainian tennis star battled her way into the round of 16 after a nail-biting match against Daria Kasatkina on Thursday.
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Kostyuk had already been thrilling spectators in the early stages of the decisive third set. A well-timed underarm serve lured Kasatkina to the net and even though she managed to return it, Kostyuk fired off a stunning cross-court winner to secure her service game.
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But the drama didn't end there, with the 24th seed eventually emerging victorious with a 3-6 6-3 7-6 win. In a crucial moment during the tiebreak, with Kasatkina leading 1-0, Kostyuk was sent darting around the court during an intense rally.
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After slipping while returning a high shot, it looked like she was out for the count. The point seemed destined for Kasatkina, but a mishit sent the ball straight back to Kostyuk, who miraculously got back on her feet and stayed in the rally.
Sent sprinting to the opposite side of the court, Kostyuk reached the ball and from a tight angle, hit an incredible winner to level the tiebreak. This point has since been dubbed by many on social media as the point of the year.
As Kostyuk spread her arms wide to the crowd in disbelief at her own victory, the commentator couldn't contain his excitement, screaming: "No way! Oh my word!"
Kostyuk triumphed in the tiebreak 7-4, causing the 15th seed to crash out of the tournament. Post-match, she was asked to share her thoughts on the point that had the Montreal crowd on their feet.
"I was 1-0 down already and then, you know, I mishit the ball and thought, 'Now it's going to be 2-0,'" the 23-year-old said. "Then she mishit the ball so I was like, 'OK, I still have a chance.' I tried to never give up and that point was kind of a reflection of that."
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Speaking about the match, Kostyuk, who faces American McCartney Kessler in the next round, said: "It was a very difficult match. I've played Daria so many times and it's always such a battle. Thank you guys [the fans] for your support, it was unbelievable today. Thank you!"
Kostyuk will need to be even better in the round of 16 on Saturday when she faces Kessler, who recently ousted fourth seed Mirra Andreeva. In May, Kostyuk and Kasatkina faced each other in Rome, where plenty of focus was paid to whether the pair would shake hands.
Kostyuk is Ukrainian and Kasatkina was born in Russia, but the latter had recently announced her decision to represent Australia internationally at the time. With this in mind, Kostyuk pledged to shake hands with the former World No. 8.
In a statement, she wrote: "Since the beginning of the war, I've chosen not to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players, as a personal stance against Russia's aggression. But when someone not only tells the truth – calling Russia the aggressor – but also acts on it, that deserves respect.
"Daria Kasatkina has clearly spoken out against the war and made the decision to give up her Russian sports citizenship. That takes courage – and I acknowledge it. I hope this is not the final step, but part of a deeper commitment."