The Fage WTA Finals round robin concluded Friday, with Elina Svitolina eliminating Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 3-6 6-1 to make the semifinals. Mirra Andreeva, who had already secured a semifinal spot, recorded a 6-2 6-1 victory over second alternate Diana Shnaider. With these combined results, Andreeva is projected to overtake Sabalenka in the WTA live rankings and end the year as world No. 2.
Andreeva was scheduled to play against Karolina Muchova, who withdrew from the tournament citing gastrointestinal concerns. Shnaider stepped up for the final round robin match against her fellow Russian. The announcement came as a surprise to both.
The newly minted No. 2 told the media: “I was actually on my way to the site and I got a message that Karolina is withdrawing and I’m gonna play Diana. So I had a little bit of time to prepare, but it was not an easy switch-up for me.” The 19-year-old added: “She is very dangerous. She has a lot of different tools that she uses on the court in order to slowly destroy the opponent.”
The second match Friday was a battle for the last spot in the semifinals, and Svitolina walked away with a commanding victory over Sabalenka. Up 5-1 in the decider, Svitolina did struggle to close out, but won the match finally on her fourth match-point of the game. The Belarusian did have moments of brilliant tennis, but could not string it together consistently enough to capitalize on her talents.
Struggling to keep the wild flying Wilson ball on the court, Sabalenka was visibly frustrated, gesticulating and talking to herself while her team remained calm and kept their heads down. In the end, the 28-year-old’s statistics speak for themselves: with 49% first serve percentage, 2/8 break points saved, and 35 unforced errors compared to 21 winners. Following the defeat, she declined to meet with the press.
Svitolina was happy with her performance and the mental strength it took to get through. She told reporters: “It was a little bit of rollercoaster match. I played good in the first set and then lost my rhythm a little bit. She played wild, much better, with a good level. I was really happy with it, that I could come back and win.”
The Ukrainian also opened up to media about the pressures and negativity she is facing on social media: “Just being honest with you guys, I have a great relationship with Gael. Even 10 minutes before the match, I had to talk with him, and we’re on good terms. The most important for us is our daughter being happy, it’s the most important priority for us.”
