Post by : Rameen Ariff

Elena Rybakina rallied to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, overturning a one-set deficit to beat world No. 2 Iga Świątek 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 on Monday. The Kazakh displayed renewed accuracy and power to secure a win she had not managed in their recent meetings.

Świątek dominated the early exchanges, racing to a 3-0 lead and closing out the opening set 6-3 while Rybakina struggled to find consistency on her backhand returns.

The momentum shifted sharply in set two as Rybakina settled into a stronger rhythm and capitalised on an increasing number of errors from Świątek.

Rybakina drew first blood in the second set with a forehand winner and moved quickly to 3-0 before finishing the stanza 6-1 with an ace.

She carried that control into the decider, producing an authoritative performance while Świątek’s errors mounted. The 25-year-old closed out the match with a 6-0 set, wrapping up the contest in under two hours.

"It was tough to be a set down, but I pushed myself in the second set. My serve improved and I focused on every point," Rybakina said after the match.

The victory was Rybakina’s second straight in the round-robin stage, following her earlier win over Amanda Anisimova on Saturday, and it secured her spot in the semi-finals.

Earlier on Monday, Amanda Anisimova mounted a comeback to defeat fellow American Madison Keys 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Keys captured the first set 6-4 behind powerful serving, but inconsistency proved costly as she conceded multiple double faults — 12 in total — compared with far fewer from Anisimova.

Anisimova seized control with aggressive baseline hitting and sharp cross-court angles, racing through the final set in just 34 minutes to record her first win at this year’s Finals.

"It was a battle out there. I’m pleased I managed to turn things around in the second set," Anisimova said, smiling after her victory.

Rybakina will meet Madison Keys in her final round-robin match, while Świątek faces Anisimova as she attempts to keep her tournament hopes alive.

In the other group, top seed Aryna Sabalenka — who opened her campaign with a win over Jasmine Paolini — is scheduled to play Jessica Pegula on Tuesday.

Pegula arrives on the back of a victory over Coco Gauff in her opening tie and will aim to build on that momentum against Sabalenka.

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