A tennis player secured victory in a match using an underarm serve that her opponent couldn`t return.
Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk advanced to the Round of 16 at the Miami Open by defeating Russian player Anna Blinkova with scores of 6-2, 6-1.
Kostyuk, ranked No. 29 in the world, dominated the first set and continued her strong performance in the second set. She only lost three games throughout the match, demonstrating her control.
To conclude the match, she surprised Blinkova with an underarm serve on match point. This unexpected tactic caught Blinkova off guard, as she was positioned far behind the baseline and couldn`t reach the ball, which bounced and spun away to her right.
Kostyuk celebrated her victory by waving to the audience.
Following the play, Kostyuk seemed to acknowledge the unconventional serve with a gesture that looked like an apology to Blinkova. The two players did not shake hands after the match.
The commentator was surprised by the shot, remarking: “Oh my goodness, she`s actually done it with an underarm serve! An underarm serve that resulted in an ace! You rarely witness that – what a way to finish a fantastic match.”
Fans online expressed their admiration for Kostyuk`s daring play and applauded her match point strategy.
One fan commented: “What a way to win the match.”
Another added: “Fantastic play, Marta!”
A third wrote: “That was an amazing serve!”
Another reaction was: “Very cheeky…but perfectly executed.”
Next, Kostyuk is set to compete against world No. 4 Jessica Pegula as she aims for her second career title.
