Elena Rybakina recovered from a set down to beat Iga Swiatek 3-6 6-1 6-0 at the WTA Finals and became only the second player this year to beat the Pole after the six-time Grand Slam champion went up by a set.
Swiatek made a commanding start to the Riyadh showdown, taking the opening three games before closing out the set on her serve in the ninth game.
After being outplayed in the first set, Rybakina completely turned around the situation as she broke the world No. 2 twice and didn't face any break points to force a decider - where the 2022 Wimbledon champion stunningly bageled the Pole to complete her comeback win in the most impressive way possible.
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The head-to-head between Rybakina and Swiatek now stands at 6-6.
The only previous time this year that Swiatek had lost from a set up came in late January when Madison Keys came back from a set down to beat the 24-year-old 5-7 6-1 7-6 (8) in the Australian Open semifinal.
Rybakina becomes the first player to seal a WTA Finals semifinal spot
Rybakina, who also defeated Amanda Anisimova in her opening match, sits at the top spot of Serena Williams Group with a 2-0 record and she has clinched a semifinal spot in Riyadh.
She brings so much intensity to the court. I feel like she started the match really well and I was a little bit slow, so on serve straight away, she broke me. It was difficult to be down, but in the second set, I pushed myself. My serve improved, and Im really happy that I stepped in and played better each point. Im very happy with my performance," the Kazakh tennis star said following her win over Swiatek.
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In her group-stage finale, Rybakina will take on Keys, who is 0-2. The head-to-head between the two stands at 3-3 but the Kazakh is in a much better form and certainly the favorite to win their WTA Finals match.
