Svitolina stuns Sabalenka to reach WTA Finals semis
Reuters, INDIAN WELLS, California
Elina Svitolina on Friday overwhelmed Aryna Sabalenka in the deciding set to seal a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 upset to reach the semi-finals of the season-ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells, where she is to face Linda Noskova this morning, Taipei time.
Svitolina absorbed and redirected Sabalenka’s power effectively, breaking the Belarusian six times before sealing her first victory over her opponent in more than six years with a forehand winner on her fourth match point. With the win, Svitolina improved to 2-6 against Sabalenka in their career meetings.
“It was a bit of a roller-coaster match,” Svitolina told reporters. “I played well in the first set but lost a little bit of rhythm. She played well in the second and served much better. I was really happy with the way I could come back in the third after losing the first game.”
The Ukrainian again did not shake hands with Sabalenka after the match, maintaining her policy of not doing so with Russian and Belarusian players following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The defeat ended Sabalenka’s season on a disappointing note. The second seed in January won Brisbane International and then Indian Wells and the Miami Open in March to complete the “Sunshine Double,” but did not claim another title after that.
Sabalenka also surrendered the world No. 1 ranking to Elena Rybakina at the US Open. She had entered the season finale among the favourites after Rybakina withdrew on the eve of the tournament because of illness.
Sabalenka declined to speak to the media following Friday’s loss.
Earlier in the day, tournament debutant Mirra Andreeva continued her impressive run with a 6-2, 6-1 win over fellow Russian Diana Shnaider, her third straight-sets victory of the week.
Shnaider, Andreeva’s friend and doubles partner, replaced Karolina Muchova, who withdrew before the final day of round-robin matches with a gastrointestinal illness.
Andreeva had already secured her place in the semi-finals before facing Shnaider and is to meet American Jessica Pegula on Saturday this morning, Taipei time.
The US$10 million tournament was moved from Riyadh to Indian Wells Tennis Garden due to the US-Israeli war on Iran. The event is to be played in Charlotte, North Carolina, starting next year.
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