The first finalist of the Stuttgart Open has been announced. As the top WTA players battled it out in the first clay court tournament of the season, there were many underdogs who stole the eye while some great promises suffered inexplicable upsets. Running an array of interesting matches, a few upsets, and some legendary rallies, one player managed to impress all.
Elena Rybakina, who has had a rather fabulous season so far , tuned into her best form to take out the dominant top seed Iga Swiatek. The World No.1 was on a major winning streak, as she cruised through the rounds having not dropped a set, until she met Rybakina in the semifinals.
Even Rybakina knew that it was going to be a tough matchup and Swiatek’s much-hyped defense is arguably unbreakable. The Polish WTA icon would not back down without a fight and her tenacity would wear any opponent out. However, like the Kazakh pro stated yesterday, she implemented her perfect serves and shots to upset Swiatek in a thrilling showdown.
It was like always a very tough match. My serve helped me a lot in the important moments. I was fighting for every ball. It was such a close match. I’m really happy I managed to win and I showed a good game. Elena Rybakina in the post-match interview after beating Iga Swiatek.
This is a much-needed victory for the 24-year-old, who aims to start her clay season on a high. She also had played well in the previous rounds but worked hard to stay in the match and beat Swiatek to the punch. An exciting finish to the game, as Rybakina made her spot as the first finalist in Stuttgart.
Elena Rybakina fends off a dominant Iga Swiatek as the Pole attempts a comeback
Kazakhstani pro-Elena Rybakina had stunned the World No.1 in an epic battle. Iga Swiatek, who was very dominant in the first set of the match, trailed off after losing a break point. In no time, Rybakina had the first set to her name.
However, Swiatek made a fabulous comeback to push the match into a deciding set. Although both the players had returned equally, Rybakina had an edge in the service, winning over 10 aces. Swiatek, on the other hand, had no aces to her name and some double faults.
In no time, the No.4 seed had repeated the first set to upset the World No.1 6-3,4-6,6-3. She is ecstatic about having won the match and was better than Swiatek in the battle of dominance.
Of course, we both like to dominate at the point.. it wasn’t easy to start. She has a really good kick. I also have a good serve. It was kind of a battle of who starts to dominate. It’s always tough to play her. We push each other. Really happy today I managed to win. said Rybakina in the post-match interview.
Now she awaits the winner of Marta Kostyuk and Marketa Vondrousova, as the winner of that match will make it as the second finalist. With a chance to win the title, Rybakina would hope to secure her second title of the season, having lost two finals already.
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