Elina Svitolina kept her WTA Finals hopes alive by overcoming a set deficit and a medical timeout to defeat Karolina Muchova 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Svitolina staged her remarkable comeback following an opening round-robin match where she lost 6-4, 6-0 to Mirra Andreeva. Facing elimination after dropping the first set to Muchova and requiring an eight-minute medical timeout, the Ukrainian turned the match around.
“It was not an easy task to do,” Svitolina told Sky Sports.
“I was pretty angry at myself, after the first match and after the first set also. Things didn’t go my way, so I tried to direct this anger towards the ball and found my game in the end,” Svitolina said.
The tactical adjustment proved decisive as Svitolina dictated baseline exchanges in the second and third sets. She secured the 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory to stay in contention for a semi-final berth.
“I think the level was back in the third set. I just tried to give it all in this match because I know I would be eliminated if I lost. So I just tried to really release all this energy and find these openings against Karolina. She’s such a tough opponent,” Svitolina said.
| Player | Group Standing | Key Match Result |
|---|---|---|
| Mirra Andreeva | 1st (Qualified) | Beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-0 |
| Aryna Sabalenka | 2nd | Lost to Mirra Andreeva 6-4, 6-0 |
| Elina Svitolina | 3rd | Beat Karolina Muchova 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 |
Andreeva topped Group B after coming from 4-1 down in the first set to defeat Sabalenka 6-4, 6-0, securing her place in the last four. Svitolina now faces a straight shootout with Sabalenka for second place in the group.
“It’s the last tournament of the season, so I just have to really put my head down and deal with all the small injuries,” Svitolina added.
“I mean, it’s normal that everyone is tired. Everyone is struggling with something here and there. I will just try to do my best, have an ice bath and try to heal as much as possible in the next 48 hours,” Svitolina said.
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