CANCUN, Mexico — Iga Swiatek gave herself a shot at her first WTA Finals title and the year-end prime rating by eliminating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 in a rain-suspended semifinal Sunday.
The second-seeded Swiatek, a 22-year-old from Poland, will meet the fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula, a 29-year-old from the USA, on Monday for the trophy on the tour’s season-ending championship. Each gamers went undefeated throughout round-robin play and have claimed all eight units they’ve performed on the out of doors arduous courtroom in Cancun.
The ultimate was imagined to be held Sunday, however a sequence of showers all through the week continued Saturday, when Pegula defeated Coco Gauff within the first semifinal. However the second semifinal, Swiatek vs. Sabalenka, was stopped within the fourth sport.
After they resumed Sunday, Swiatek rapidly broke, then moved out to a 4-1 lead and by no means actually seemed again.
She persistently out-hit the highly effective Sabalenka, the runner-up eventually yr’s WTA Finals, from the baseline and wound up with extra winners, 16-13, whereas additionally making fewer than half as many unforced errors, 23-10.
Swiatek, a four-time Grand Slam champion, additionally saved each break factors she confronted and received three of Sabalenka’s service video games.
Sabalenka, who received the Australian Open in January for her first main title, might have assured herself remaining at No. 1 by beating Swiatek. As a substitute, a victory over Pegula would enable Swiatek to rise from No. 2 to regain the highest spot she held from April 2022 to this September, when Sabalenka overtook her.
Swiatek carries a 10-match successful streak into Monday; Pegula has received 9 in a row.
