Iga Swiatek stunned by Aryna Sabalenka in rollercoaster match to reach first final at WTA Finals
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Updated 07/11/2022 at 08:32 GMT
World No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka dug deep to beat Iga Swiatek to reach her maiden final at the WTA Finals. The match swung heavily from Sabalenka to Swiatek and back to the Belarusian again, who triumphed 6-2 2-6 6-1 in Fort Worth. It’s a big win for her after she lost to the Pole four times earlier this year. Sabalenka will play Caroline Garcia in the final on Monday night.
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Aryna Sabalenka stunned world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in a pulsating three-set match to reach her first final at the WTA Finals.
Swiatek went into the match as heavy favourite, having won all four previous meetings with Sabalenka this year and not dropped a set all week in Forth Worth.
But it was Sabalenka who came out on top 6-2 2-6 6-1. She will next face face Caroline Garcia, who beat Maria Sakkari, in a final which few would have expected at the start of the tournament.
"Overall, I was really calm on the court," said Sabalenka. "The mindset was just I wanted to make her work for it. I didn't want to give her another easy win, like she got [in the] first three wins.
"That's the mindset I had during this match. I think that's why I wasn't really going for all those winners, all those aces, but I think because of the mindset, I made it a lot."
Both players were far from their best in the opening set, with Sabalenka breaking Swiatek three times.
Inevitably, the world No. 1 fought back by winning the first four games of the second set and holding her serve to take the match to a decider.
Sabalenka dug deep and took an early break with a couple of big forehand winners to go 3-1 up, before raising her game again to seal the match.
Supreme Sabalenka
To reach the knockout stages, Sabalenka played some great tennis earlier in the week to beat the world No. 2 Ons Jabeur and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula.
Her victory over Swiatek means she is just the third player this century to beat the top three-ranked players in the world in the same tournament.
Sabalenka had only won one set in her four previous attempts to beat Swiatek this year, so this victory could be a big moment in her career, especially if she goes on to win the title on Monday night.
“I think it’s enough miracles for me this season,” said the 24-year-old. “It’s time for hard work. It was a great match and an unbelievable atmosphere.
“I just really wanted to stay for another match. It’s the last match of the season. Who cares about our physical [fitness] who cares about that? I’m just ready to give everything I have.”
Garcia became the first French WTA Finals finalist since Amelie Mauresmo after a straight sets semi-final win over Sakkari.
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