Ukrainian Elena Svitolina has not won a single tournament this season. In fact, she has not gone to a single final. But she still managed to get to the WTA playoffs, which she won last season.

And when she started the tournament today, against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova, things went as it usually does when Elena Svitolina enters the WTA playoffs. She won the match, and is thus 4-0 in the premier matches in the WTA playoffs. After the match, she told me that she feels extra motivation given her relatively unsuccessful years.

- I think my biggest motivation is to win the trophy this year. This is my last chance. I try to win as many matches as I can. That is my biggest motivation. I always try to do my best. Just being here is a huge achievement of everyone. Everyone is a champion, so you have to play your best game, she said, according to the WTA website.

Rescued set balls

The match was tough. Especially the first set, which went to tie break. Pliskova had a bar set balls, but Svitolina eventually won by 14-12. The second set went slightly simpler, and won by 6-4.

"I needed to be really tough mentally, and tried not to think that much because she is a great player," Svitolina said.

- Some of the battles were absolutely fantastic.

Svitolina's group also plays Wimbledom winner Simona Halep and US Open winner Bianca Andreescu.