Svitolina stuns Sabalenka to reach WTA Finals semis

INDIAN WELLS, California, Nov 13 - Elina Svitolina stunned Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 3-6 1-6 on Friday to reach the semifinals of the season-ending championships in Indian Wells where she will face Linda Noskova.

Svitolina redirected Sabalenka's power throughout the match, breaking the Belarusian's serve six times and pouncing on a short ball that she crushed on match point for her first win over Sabalenka in more than six years.

Ukrainian Svitolina continued her long-standing policy of refusing post-match handshakes with players from Russia and Belarus due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and did not shake Sabalenka's hand at the end of the match.

The 2018 WTA Finals champion Svitolina will next face Wimbledon champion Noskova on Saturday for a spot in the final.

It is a disappointing end to the season for Sabalenka, who won the "Sunshine Double" by winning both Indian Wells and the Miami Open earlier in the season, but did not win another title after that.

She lost her world number one ranking to Elena Rybakina at the US Open and as the second seed was the favorite at the $10 million WTA Finals after Rybakina withdrew on the eve of the tournament due to illness.

Earlier, tournament debutant Mirra Andreeva continued her dominant play, winning her third consecutive match in straight sets with a 6-2 6-1 dismantling of fellow Russian Diana Shnaider.

Shnaider, Andreeva's friend and doubles partner, stepped in to replace Karolina Muchova, who withdrew from the last day of round-robin play at the tournament earlier on Friday with a gastrointestinal illness.

Andreeva had already booked her spot in the semi-finals prior to her match against Shnaider. She faces American Jessica Pegula in Saturday's semis. REUTERS