Svitolina beats Sabalenka to reach WTA Finals semi-finals

Elina Svitolina beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at the WTA Finals, ending the Belarusian’s season and securing the Ukrainian a place in the semi-finals.

Sabalenka, a four-time major champion, had reached the knockout stage at the season-ending tournament in each of the previous four years. She fought back to take the second set but lost the final six games as Svitolina advanced.

Svitolina will face world number eight Linda Noskova in the last four. She said the match had been “extremely tough”, particularly mentally, and that she tried to play one point at a time.

Sabalenka’s defeat caps a season in which she won three other titles, including the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments, but did not win a major. She was runner-up at both the Australian Open and the US Open, and lost the world number one ranking to Elena Rybakina after the US Open final.

Mirra Andreeva completed the group stage unbeaten, beating Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1. Andreeva will play Jessica Pegula for a place in Sunday’s final.