"I am grateful to my team who stayed by my side," says Kostyuk after reaching quarterfinals in Montreal
Marta Kostyuk is stringing together wins again after several weeks of doubt. Coming into this WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal on a six-match losing streak, the 23-year-old Ukrainian has, for the first time in her career, won three consecutive matches after dropping the first set.
After victories against Marketa Vondrousova (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) and Daria Kasatkina (3-6, 6-3, 7-6), the world No. 28 followed up with a win over McCartney Kessler (5-7, 6-3, 6-3) and will now play her third WTA 1000 quarterfinal this season, following those in Doha and Madrid. After her win, Kostyuk reflected on regaining confidence after a turbulent period.
"That was an incredible match. The playing conditions, especially at the start, were tough. The wind was blowing everywhere and changing direction constantly. It was hard to adjust, so I decided I wouldn’t adapt to the wind—the wind would have to adapt to me. It was a huge battle.
Last year in Canada, I lost a tight match against Emma Navarro in the round of 16 (7-5, 7-5). Today, I lost the first set 7-5. So I told myself, ‘No, I’m not losing again with the same score!’ Like I said, it was incredible.
Before this tournament, I hadn’t won a single match in the last two months—I lost so many matches. So I didn’t have much confidence coming here.
That’s why I’m grateful to my team who stayed by my side and supported me through this challenge," Kostyuk told Tribuna.
In the next round, the Ukrainian will face Elena Rybakina, against whom she trails 2-1 in head-to-head meetings, as she aims to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 for the second time after Indian Wells last year.
National Bank Open 
