Elina Svitolina Beats Aryna Sabalenka in Three Sets to Reach WTA Finals Semifinals

Elina Svitolina converted six of eight break points to defeat Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Elina Svitolina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Friday to advance to the WTA Finals semifinals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Svitolina secured the victory on her fourth match point, marking her first win against Sabalenka in six years and her second win in eight career meetings. The 2018 tournament champion converted six of eight break points and recorded 21 winners against 24 unforced errors.

Sabalenka, the runner-up at last year's finals, committed 35 errors during the match. Despite rallying to win the second set and holding an early break in the third, she fell as Svitolina dominated the final set 6-1. Svitolina is scheduled to face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in the semifinals on Saturday.

In Group 2 action, 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva advanced to the semifinals by defeating Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1 in 55 minutes. Andreeva won 12 of the final 13 games, finishing the group stage with a 3-0 record and having dropped only 11 total games. She won 71% of her first-serve points and converted six of seven break points to set up a semifinal match against Jessica Pegula.

Shnaider entered the draw as a late replacement for Karolina Muchova, who withdrew due to a gastrointestinal illness. Although Shnaider held a 2-0 lead in the opening set, she finished the match with 32 errors. The matches on Friday were played under sunny skies with significant wind interference.