Dayana Yastremska saved five match points in the first round of the Guangzhou Open on October 27, beating eighth seed Katie Volynets 7–5, 1–6, 7–6 (9–7 in the tie-break) in 2 hours and 44 minutes. She will face China’s Shi Han in the second round, their first meeting on the WTA Tour.
From 2–5 down, match points saved in three consecutive games
Yastremska won the opening set but took just one game in the second. Volynets then moved 5–2 ahead in the deciding set, leaving her one game from victory. Yastremska first saved a match point and broke as her opponent served for the match, then saved another on her own serve to close the gap to 4–5.
Volynets earned three more match points when serving for the match a second time, but could not convert any of them. The game lasted 20 points. Yastremska saved the fourth match point of the match with a forehand return winner and ultimately broke again. By saving one, one and three match points across three consecutive games, she brought the deciding set back level.
The tie-break also refused to yield an immediate winner
In the tie-break, it was Yastremska who took the early advantage. She led 4–1 and then earned two match points at 6–4, but Volynets kept fighting back. Yastremska eventually finished the match on her fourth match point, winning the tie-break 9–7.
| Player | First set | Second set | Third set | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yastremska | 7 | 1 | 7 (tie-break 9) | Advanced |
| Volynets (8th seed) | 5 | 6 | 6 (tie-break 7) | Eliminated |
In the interview recorded in the WTA’s post-match report, Yastremska said it was difficult to face her friend Volynets and that she had simply tried to fight to the end. A few days earlier, she had also saved five match points in the opening round of qualifying. Surviving those two separate scares has taken her from qualifying to the second round of the main draw.
Her next opponent, Shi Han, beat Alevtina Ibragimova in straight sets in the first round. Yastremska said she was not yet familiar with Shi’s game and would prepare before their meeting. For Shi, the second-round contest will decide who reaches the Guangzhou quarter-finals.
