April 20, (THEWILL)- World number one, Iga Swiatek’s quest for a third consecutive Stuttgart Open crown was ended by Elena Rybakina in a riveting 6-3 4-6 6-3 semi-final defeat on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Pole’s unblemished 11-match winning streak in Stuttgart came to an end against the fourth seed Rybakina.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina overcame an early deficit, winning five successive games to clinch the opening set. Though Swiatek levelled by taking the second, the 24-year-old Kazakh regained control in the decider, fending off a late Swiatek fightback to advance to the final.
Swiatek made a bright start, breaking serve immediately before Rybakina’s surge. The second set remained firmly on serve until Swiatek’s decisive breakthrough in the 10th game forced the deciding set. However, Rybakina grabbed an early break and though Swiatek threatened a comeback, the Kazakh stood firm.
“It was a battle to dominate the rallies, but breaking Iga is always tough. We pushed each other and I’m delighted to win today,” Rybakina said after her first career victory over Swiatek. The Kazakh fired nine aces and saved six of the seven break points she faced.
Rybakina awaits either Marta Kostyuk or Marketa Vondrousova in Sunday’s final as she aims to add the Stuttgart crown to her Wimbledon triumph.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
