Elena Rybakina staged a dramatic comeback victory over Iga Swiatek in their WTA Finals match on Monday, as the Kazakh star edged past the world number two to reach the semi-finals of the event.
Swiatek had dominated the first set 6-3, winning four straight breaks and looking poised to extend her unbeaten record against Rybakina. However, the Kazakh suddenly found her footing in the second set, pulling off a stunning comeback to clinch both sets 6-1 and 6-0.
The victory marked Rybakina's fifth win over Swiatek this year, as she took a significant step towards securing her place in the tournament semi-finals. The world number seven's impressive performance was fueled by her improved serve and determination, which allowed her to overcome an early deficit.
Rybakina attributed her success to her ability to stay focused and composed under pressure. "It's always very tough to play against Iga, she brings so much intensity to the court," Rybakina said in a post-match interview. "She started the match very well, I was a little bit slow, and she broke my serve straight away, so it was difficult being behind."
Rybakina's victory sets up a key encounter with Madison Keys, whom she will face in her final group stage match on Thursday. Meanwhile, Swiatek's future in the tournament is uncertain, as she struggles to maintain her form.
In other news from the WTA Finals, Amanda Anisimova edged past Madison Keys in their second-round-robin match, winning 4-6 6-3 6-2. The American bounced back from a set down to take control of the match, ultimately outlasting her opponent after a grueling contest.
Anisimova's win sets up an intriguing encounter with Aryna Sabalenka in the group stage. The world number one is looking to build on her impressive form at the tournament so far, having beaten Jasmine Paolini earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie made significant progress in the ATP Moselle Open, beating Valentin Royer 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 to advance to the round of 16. The number seven seed was forced to battle back after losing the second set in a tie-break, but ultimately outlasted his French opponent.
Norrie will face Arthur Cazaux in the next round, following his victory over compatriot Adrian Mannarino.
Swiatek had dominated the first set 6-3, winning four straight breaks and looking poised to extend her unbeaten record against Rybakina. However, the Kazakh suddenly found her footing in the second set, pulling off a stunning comeback to clinch both sets 6-1 and 6-0.
The victory marked Rybakina's fifth win over Swiatek this year, as she took a significant step towards securing her place in the tournament semi-finals. The world number seven's impressive performance was fueled by her improved serve and determination, which allowed her to overcome an early deficit.
Rybakina attributed her success to her ability to stay focused and composed under pressure. "It's always very tough to play against Iga, she brings so much intensity to the court," Rybakina said in a post-match interview. "She started the match very well, I was a little bit slow, and she broke my serve straight away, so it was difficult being behind."
Rybakina's victory sets up a key encounter with Madison Keys, whom she will face in her final group stage match on Thursday. Meanwhile, Swiatek's future in the tournament is uncertain, as she struggles to maintain her form.
In other news from the WTA Finals, Amanda Anisimova edged past Madison Keys in their second-round-robin match, winning 4-6 6-3 6-2. The American bounced back from a set down to take control of the match, ultimately outlasting her opponent after a grueling contest.
Anisimova's win sets up an intriguing encounter with Aryna Sabalenka in the group stage. The world number one is looking to build on her impressive form at the tournament so far, having beaten Jasmine Paolini earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie made significant progress in the ATP Moselle Open, beating Valentin Royer 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 to advance to the round of 16. The number seven seed was forced to battle back after losing the second set in a tie-break, but ultimately outlasted his French opponent.
Norrie will face Arthur Cazaux in the next round, following his victory over compatriot Adrian Mannarino.
. it's crazy how far tennis has come since then. these young girls are like pros or something. rybakina's comeback against swiatek was insane, i mean the girl who got smashed in the first set came back to win both sets 6-1 and 6-0? that's just wild 
. anisimova beating keys in their match must've been a nail-biter, i love how american players can come from behind like that 
. cameron norrie's win over royer was close, he had to fight hard after losing the second set but still managed to outlast him 
. these young talents are making tennis so exciting again 
Rybakina just comes from nowh ere and beats Swiatek 6-1 and 6-0... like she was trying to do something crazy or somethin'. And don't even get me started on Anisimova's win over Keys, that was just a fluke. 
The match went three sets? What's the point of playin' tennis if you're just gonna keep goin' till one of y'all gives up? 
! i mean swiatek was totally crushing it in the first set, but rybakina just came out of nowhere and pulled off this insane comeback 
. her improved serve really paid off, and she seemed to be in a zone once she took the lead. can't wait to see what happens next for both of them - does rybakina have what it takes to take down madison keys? 
. And Rybakina said in an interview that she brings so much intensity to the court... yeah, I can see why! Anyway, Rybakina's gonna play Madison Keys next and I'm hoping she'll keep her momentum going 
. The girl's got game for days and her serve is straight fire 
. Swiatek's gonna have to step up her A-game if she wants to take down Rybakina again 
and i hope she makes it to the finals 
she's been on fire this year and i think she deserves all the recognition 
as for swiatek, yeah she's still amazing but maybe she should take a break or something 
. anyway, can't wait to see what happens next in the tournament - Rybakina's got her sights set on Madison Keys now 
. It's just a game, right? And what's with all these injuries and set breaks? Back in my day, we didn't have all the fancy equipment and training methods... we just played because we loved it 
.
. I mean, going down 0-6 in the first set and still managing to pull off an epic comeback? 
, taking away Swiatek's chances of winning that match 
. But Rybakina's determination and focus paid off big time 
like swiatek was all over the court but rybakina just refused to give up