Elina Svitolina beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Friday to reach the WTA Finals semifinals at Indian Wells. The win put Svitolina second in Group 2 and set up a Saturday match against Linda Noskova. It also kept her alive in the round-robin stage after she lost her opening match to Mirra Andreeva.

Svitolina recovered after an opening loss

Svitolina’s route to the last four required consecutive wins. After Andreeva beat her in straight sets, Svitolina came back from a set down to defeat Karolina Muchova 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. That left her needing another victory against Sabalenka to secure a semifinal place.

Against Sabalenka, Svitolina took the first set, lost the second and pulled away in the decider. She converted six of eight break points, according to the WTA. Reuters reported it was her first win over Sabalenka in more than six years; the result moved their career head-to-head to 2-6.

What the result means at the WTA Finals

The group format meant Svitolina’s first-match defeat did not end her chances. Her 2-1 record was enough to take the second semifinal position in Group 2, behind Andreeva, who completed group play unbeaten. Svitolina is back in the WTA Finals semifinals for the first time since 2019 and will face Group 1 winner Noskova on Saturday.

The other semifinal pairs Andreeva with Jessica Pegula. For more context on how Andreeva secured her own place in the final four, read The Globuzz’s report on her win over Sabalenka.

Sources

Reporting: Reuters; match and group details: Women’s Tennis Association.