BY : Osabuohien Imuetinyanosa
Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Finals after defeating Poland’s Iga Swiatek 3–6, 6–1, 6–0 in Riyadh on Monday.
Rybakina’s victory marked her first win over the six-time Grand Slam champion in their last five encounters.
Swiatek, ranked world number two, struggled to maintain consistency throughout the match, committing 36 unforced errors in the final two sets compared to Rybakina’s 17. Despite a strong start that saw Swiatek dominate the opening set 6–3, her performance declined sharply as Rybakina raised her game.
Reflecting on her comeback, Rybakina said, “It was difficult being down early, but in the second set I pushed myself harder. My serve improved, and I’m really happy that I managed to step up and play better with each point.”
Swiatek began the match aggressively, winning the first three games by targeting Rybakina’s body with precise serves. However, early in the second set, a double fault and an unforced error allowed Rybakina to break serve. The Kazakh held her lead with a powerful ace and quickly went 3–0 ahead. Swiatek’s frustration grew as she made three consecutive unforced errors, handing Rybakina a decisive 5–1 lead. The former Wimbledon champion sealed the set and went on to dominate the third, winning 6–0 to complete her comeback.
Rybakina, who had earlier defeated Amanda Anisimova, secured her place in the tournament’s final four with this second straight win.
In another group match, American Amanda Anisimova overcame compatriot Madison Keys 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 to record her first victory of the WTA Finals. Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, was undone by inconsistency, registering 12 double faults—four times more than Anisimova.
The match began with four consecutive service breaks before Anisimova steadied her play to hold serve. Keys, however, broke again to lead 5–4 and went on to capture the first set with powerful serves. Despite building an early 2–0 lead in the second set, Keys’ mounting double faults and errors opened the door for Anisimova to recover. The 24-year-old broke back to level at 3–3 and then used precise forehand placements to win five consecutive games, taking the second set.
Anisimova carried her momentum into the decider, dominating with confident cross-court shots and sealing victory in just 34 minutes. Speaking after the match, she said, “It was quite a battle out there. I’m really happy with how I managed to turn things around in the second set and stay positive.”
Rybakina will next face Keys in her final round-robin match, while Swiatek will take on Anisimova. In the other group, top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who opened with a win over Jasmine Paolini, will play Jessica Pegula on Tuesday. Pegula, meanwhile, will aim for a second consecutive victory following her win over Coco Gauff on Sunday.
Photos,credit–Reuters
