Elena Rybakina claimed a fourth win in six meetings over Iga Swiatek, who was bidding to become the first three-time champion in Stuttgart since Maria Sharapova from 2012-14; Rybakina to face Marta Kostyuk in Sunday's final
Saturday 20 April 2024 18:40, UK
World No 1 Iga Swiatek's bid to win a third successive Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title came to an end in an enthralling 6-3 4-6 6-3 semi-final loss to Elena Rybakina.
Fourth seed Rybakina ended Swiatek's perfect record by handing the Pole her first defeat in 11 matches at the tournament, making 10 aces and saving 11 of the 13 break points she faced to win in two hours and 49 minutes.
Swiatek began brightly, breaking serve in the opening game and held to take a 2-0 lead, but 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina then won five games in a row, breaking twice, and saw out the first set as she hit four aces along the way.
The second set went with serve for the first nine games, with Swiatek saving two break points in the opener and Rybakina hitting a further four aces before Swiatek made the decisive break to take the set and force the decider.
Rybakina threatened early in the third set, with Swiatek saving five break points to hold for a 2-1 lead but Rybakina made the breakthrough to make it 3-2 and hit another ace to save a break point and hold in the next game.
At 4-2 down, Swiatek rallied to serve to love and had a break point to level the set, but Rybakina held on and went on to break again to reach the final where she will meet Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk.
"It was, like always a very tough match and I was fighting for every ball, it was such a close match," Rybakina said. "I'm really happy that I managed to win and I showed a good game.
"It was kind of a battle who starts the rally, who starts to dominate, but it's always tough to break against Iga [Swiatek], we push each other and I'm really happy that today I managed to win."
Rybakina will play Kostyuk after the 27th-ranked Ukrainian defeated Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (2) 6-2 in the other semi. It will be Rybakina's fifth final of the season. She won titles in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi.
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