Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the French Open on Sunday, hours after a missile struck near her parents' home in Kyiv.
The 15th-seeded Kostyuk extended her clay-court winning streak to 12 matches following recent titles in Rouen and Madrid.
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Her opponent, Selekhmeteva, was born in Russia but recently switched her athletic allegiance to Spain before the tournament at Roland Garros.
Kostyuk hit 20 winners during the match, including 12 from her forehand, to advance to the second round.
Emotional Turmoil Before the Match
Kostyuk revealed that a missile destroyed a building just 100 meters away from her family home in Kyiv.
She entered the match uncertain of her emotional stability after spending the morning crying.
"I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career.
This morning, 100 meters away from my parents' house, a missile destroyed the building," Kostyuk said during her on-court interview.
"It was a very difficult morning. I didn't know how this match was going to turn around for me.
I didn't know how I would handle it. I've been crying part of the morning," she added.
Kostyuk emphasized the importance of persisting, citing the resilience of the Ukrainian public as her primary motivation.
"I think it's important to keep going. My biggest example is Ukrainian people.
I woke up in the morning today and I looked at all these people who woke up and kept living their lives, kept helping people who are in need," she said.
