Marta Kostyuk, 15, Reaches 3rd Round of Australian Open

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MELBOURNE, Australia — Shortly after Marta Kostyuk became the youngest woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam in 21 years, she seemed to be struggling with the post-match interest in her precocious talent.

“Scary,” Kostyuk, 15, said on Wednesday as she looked out at a crowded media room after advancing in the Australian Open. “But, O.K.”

Kostyuk quickly adapted in typical fashion, demonstrating a sense of humility and self-awareness that belied her age.

“I heard a lot of times that I’m talented, and I know that, but I know that only talent will not help me to play,” she said. “So I can say that I’m working pretty hard.”

Kostyuk, ranked 521st, received a wild card into the qualifying draw after winning the junior title in Melbourne last year. She won three matches in the qualifying rounds to reach the main draw, and then opened the tournament with a victory over 25th-seeded Peng Shuai, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round on Monday.

Consistency was a problem for Kostyuk on Wednesday, but she was able to beat another wild card, Olivia Rogowska, an Australian ranked No. 168 in the world, 6-3, 7-5.

“I didn’t feel like she was 15 at all,” Rogowska said. “Power of her shots was up there. She served really well at times.”

Kostyuk, who is from Ukraine, is managed by Ivan Ljubicic, who was once rose as high as No. 3 in the world rankings and also coaches Roger Federer. Her mother, Talina Beiko, also took up coaching after a professional career, which compelled Kostyuk to spend time on the court.

“I wanted to see her a lot, so I was practicing,” Kostyuk said in an interview with WTA Insider.

Beiko received a coaching violation during the match, a penalty that annoyed Kostyuk because she did not see whatever signal her mother was sending her.

“I was so mad,” Kostyuk said, smiling. “But actually when I’m mad, it’s helping.”

WTA rules dictate that 15-year-olds are limited to 10 tournaments, but her top-five finish in the junior rankings last year allows her to play in an additional two competitions.

There will be time for her to contemplate her future schedule, but for now there is a more pressing issue: She will face fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina, the best women’s player Ukraine has produced, on Friday in the third round.

Svitolina, 23, is coming off a title at the WTA tournament in Brisbane and would a prohibitive favorite under normal circumstances. Svitolina, however, said she has been struggling with unspecified “injury issues” before and during the tournament, and appeared unsure about her fitness.

“It was, like, big question that I’m going to step on court for my first round,” Svitolina said in a news conference after her match on Wednesday.

Although both are from Ukraine, the Zagreb-based Kostyuk and London-based Svitolina barely know each other. Svitolina said she heard of Kostyuk only after she won the junior title in Melbourne a year ago; Svitolina herself won the 2010 French Open girls’ title at 15.

“I will just enjoy it,” Kostyuk said of the match against Svitolina. “I think I’m going to play on big court again, but I will just try to show my best tennis, because I’m pretty sure, like, all my opponents, she will struggle a little bit, and I will try to use this.”

Although champions like Serena Williams, Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf won their first Grand Slam titles as teenagers, no player younger than 19 has captured a Grand Slam since Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon at 17 in 2004.

The most recent teenager to make a major impact on tour was Belinda Bencic, who has struggled with injuries for the past year. Now healthy again, she beat Venus Williams in the first round on Monday before falling, 6-1, 6-3, to the qualifier Luksika Kumkhum on Wednesday.

“Now I’m a veteran,” Bencic, 20, said with a laugh.

Bencic first watched Kostyuk play on Wednesday, and she was impressed. “I hope for her that she continues like that, and keeps enjoying all of this, and remembers the feeling how it is when you’re excited the first time, first Grand Slam, and to keep it this way,” Bencic said.

Bencic, who speaks from experience, said the most difficult thing for a highly praised teenager to deal with is the expectation of becoming an immediate champion.

“You get really hyped, a lot, when you win one, two matches,” Bencic said. “Everybody focuses on you, there’s attention — and suddenly you’re the one who has to win. Which, it actually shouldn’t be like that. I think that’s the toughest part.”