Elena Rybakina’s dream start to the WTA Finals continued as she came from behind to beat Iga Swiatek.
The star squeezed into the WTA Finals thanks to her late season form, and she’s made full use of the place.
Rybakina defeated Amanda Anisimova in dominant fashion in her opening match by dropping just four games against the American.
She followed that up with a terrific comeback victory against Swiatek, which included a stunning third set bagel.
The improvement Elena Rybakina made that helped her defeat Iga Swiatek
Swiatek lost the first set to Rybakina, but she didn’t let that faze her. She followed it up by winning the next two sets, and she dropped just one game against the World No. 2.
Speaking after the match, Rybakina shared the two things she changed in her game following the first set loss.
“It’s always very tough to play against Iga. She brings so much intensity to the court and she started really well, while I was a little bit slow. She broke me straight away on serve. But in the second set I pushed myself.
“The serve improved and really happy I stepped in and played better each point. I am very happy with the performance. Mentally I am happy that I stayed focused, no matter if it was the first set, I was trying to stay aggressive and do what I worked on with the coach.
“Of course, focusing more on my serve and after I got some confidence leading in the second set. Everything was going my way and it continued. Hopefully I will play like this throughout the whole tournament.”
Rybakina plays Madison Keys next, but she could already have her qualification wrapped up before she sets foot on the court.
The current standings at the WTA Finals
The top two from each group of the WTA Finals go through to the semi-finals, and Rybakina has put herself into a very strong position.
The star has likely already qualified, but it is not yet confirmed. A win for Anisimova in her match against Keys, however, will confirm Rybakina’s place at the top of the group.
| Player | W–L Record | Set Record | Game Record | |
| 1 | Elena Rybakina | 2–0 | 4–1 (80%) | 27–11 (71%) |
| 2 | Iga Świątek | 1–1 | 3–2 (60%) | 19–15 (56%) |
| 3 | Madison Keys | 0–1 | 0–2 (0%) | 3–12 (20%) |
| 4 | Amanda Anisimova | 0–1 | 0–2 (0%) | 4–12 (25%) |
Swiatek’s win over Keys has given her a chance of confirming her place in the semi-finals with a win against Anisimova.
Rybakina has qualified for the tournament in three consecutive years, but she’s yet to get out of the round robin format.
The star’s form right up until the end of the Asian swing looks to have made her more match fit than the rest of her opponents, most of whom took a break after confirming their qualification.
