Svitolina subdues Sabalenka
Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina beat world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in a rollercoaster three-set match on Friday to punch her ticket to the WTA Finals last four, where she’ll face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.
Broken to start the third set, sixth-ranked Svitolina stormed home, winning six straight games to triumph, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
“It was an extremely tough match, especially mentally,” said Svitolina, who continues her campaign for a second WTA Finals crown to go with the one she won in 2018.
“I was just trying to play one point at a time and find my game, find the fighting spirit until the end … she gave me a few chances here and there so I could find my shots.”
Svitolina claimed just her second career victory in eight meetings with the Belarusian star, whose first-serve struggles and 35 unforced errors proved too much to overcome.
