Svitolina beats Noskova to reach WTA Finals championship match

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has reached the final of the WTA Finals, the women's tennis tour's season-ending championship. In the semifinal she beat Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-1 in 65 minutes. The win gives her a chance to fight for another title at the event, with the final set for Sunday.

Svitolina won this tournament in 2018 and lost the 2019 final to Australia's Ashleigh Barty. She had not played at the WTA Finals since then.

Pressure leads to errors

Noskova struggled with the pressure and committed 11 double faults. The Czech is second on the WTA Tour this season in aces, behind Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, yet she hit only two in this match. She served the second in the penultimate game, in which she saved a match point, and won that game. In the next game Svitolina clinched victory on her third match point when Noskova sent the ball out.

Svitolina's assessment

The Ukrainian said practically everything worked against Noskova. "I think I played really well today: I served well and returned my opponent's serve successfully. I managed to play aggressively and hit precise angles," Svitolina said. She stressed that it was important to find attacking chances early in the rallies and dictate play. She described Noskova as a great player who hits the ball with maximum power, so she needed to make her uncomfortable on court.

The 32-year-old Svitolina returned to the world top ten this year for the first time since the birth of her daughter Skai in 2022. "Returning to the final is truly magical. It's very special for me that there will be another fight on Sunday, another challenge," she said. Together with her coaches, Svitolina plans to analyze the situation and look for the key to victory in the final.