Swiatek moves into Wuhan semifinals after beating Ann Li

Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, will face Maja Chwalinska with a place in the final at stake and her chances of qualifying for the season ending championships remain alive.

Updated : Oct 16, 2026 20:38 IST , Wuhan - 3 MINS READ

Iga Swiatek plays a shot during her quarterfinal win over Ann Li at the Wuhan Open on Friday. | Photo Credit: AFP

Iga Swiatek stayed in the hunt for a WTA Finals berth with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Ann Li on Friday, setting up an all Polish semifinal at the Wuhan Open.

The six-time Grand Slam champion will play Maja Chwalinska for a spot in the final.

Swiatek is competing for one of the last two places in the eight player field for next month’s WTA Finals in Indian Wells, and she moved closer by making the Wuhan semifinals for the first time in her career.

“For sure it’s great that we have two Polish players in the semifinals,” said Swiatek of her upcoming clash with childhood friend Chwalinska.

“I think it means a lot to Polish tennis, so hopefully it’s going to be a nice match. I’m really happy for Maja, she for sure improved her game this year.”

ALSO READ:Elina Svitolina loses to resurgent Briton Sonay Kartal at the Wuhan Open

It was a standout week for 26-year-old Li, who upset World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the second round, then notched the 100th tour level win of her career in round three to make her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.

The American, ranked No. 31, pushed Swiatek hard in the first set. Swiatek made 21 unforced errors and faced three break points, but she protected the single break she had earned early on and won the set in 56 minutes.

She started the second set strongly and stayed in control to book her fourth WTA 1000 semifinal of the year.

Maja Chwalinska, a French Open finalist, reached her first WTA 1000 semifinal by beating Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-0, 3-6, 7-5.

“I think it would be great for us and great for Polish tennis as well,” Chwalinska said of her Saturday meeting with Swiatek.

“It would be a great honour for me also because she’s such a great champion, she’s done almost everything in our sport.”

Earlier on Friday, Sonay Kartal picked up the second top 10 win of her career and secured a return to the top 100 by beating Ukraine’s world No. 6 Elina Svitolina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Kartal is the first British player to reach the semifinals in Wuhan. She had been out for six months this season with a stress fracture in her spine and came back to competition only three weeks ago.

Her ranking peaked at a career high No. 44 in the world 15 months ago, but the injury layoff dropped her to No. 170.

At 24, she is now the lowest-ranked semifinalist in the history of the Wuhan Open.

Her comeback week has been impressive, as she beat seeded opponents in each of her last three rounds. She next faces 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, with a place in the final at stake.

Ostapenko reached her second Wuhan Open semifinal, and her first since 2017, by beating 11th seed Diana Shnaider 7-6 (8/6), 6-1.