Kostyuk’s Bold Serve Propels Her to Miami Open Round of 16

MIAMI, Fla. — Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk advanced to the last 16 of the Miami Open on Sunday, defeating Russia’s Anna Blinkova 6-2, 6-1 in a commanding performance that took less than an hour.

Kostyuk, currently ranked No. 29 in the world, showcased her confidence on the court, punctuating her victory with an audacious underarm serve that secured her first match point. The 22-year-old’s surprising decision to deliver an ace via an underarm serve raised eyebrows among spectators and sparked discussions regarding similar match-winning plays throughout the sport’s history.

In the match, Kostyuk broke Blinkova’s serve three times in the first set and secured two more breaks in the second. Aiming for a dominant win, Kostyuk led the score to 5-0 before Blinkova managed to finally hold her serve, bringing the score to 5-1. However, this brief hold only delayed Kostyuk’s inevitable victory.

The Ukrainian player’s win marks her second advance to the last 16 at the Sunshine Double series, where players compete in both the Indian Wells and Miami Opens. She is looking to improve her prior performance at Indian Wells, where she was eliminated by Qinwen Zheng.

Kostyuk’s underarm serve may have evoked memories of recent similar instances in professional tennis. Last year, in a Billie Jean King Cup doubles match, Italian players Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani faced off against Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Katarzyna Kawa, where an underarm serve did not result in an ace. However, a notable victory via an underarm ace transpired at Wimbledon in 2022 when Kalin Ivanovski triumphed over Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez during a boys’ second-round match.

Looking ahead, Kostyuk is set to face either Anna Kalinskaya or world No. 4 Jessica Pegula in her next match in Miami, as she continues her quest in this prestigious tournament.