ASB Classic: Svitolina wins battle of moms over Wozniacki to reach last 16

In a highly anticipated match between two high-profile athletes who have returned to the tour last year after giving birth to their children, Ukrainian Elina Svitolina defeated Danish wildcard Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the ASB Classic on Tuesday.

The second seeded Svitolina, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year, will face another Grand Slam next – the 21-year-old Emma Raducanu, who came through a three-set win over Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse in another first round encounter.

The win improves Svitolina’s lead over Wozniacki in their head-to-head to 5-1.

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