Svitolina reaches WTA Finals clash against Andreeva
CALIFORNIA: Elina Svitolina secured her place in the WTA Finals championship match after defeating Linda Noskova in the semi-finals on Saturday. The Ukrainian tennis star produced an impressive performance, winning 6-2, 6-1 in just 65 minutes. She will now face 19-year-old French Open champion Mirra Andreeva for the title in California.
Svitolina dominated the contest from the beginning, controlling the rallies and preventing Noskova from building momentum. The victory marked her second win against the Czech player in their five career meetings. It also earned her a place in her third career final at the year-ending tournament. At 32, she became the oldest player to reach the WTA Finals final since Venus Williams achieved the feat in 2017.
Andreeva booked her place in the final after defeating Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4. The 19-year-old, who won the 2026 French Open, continued her impressive run to set up an exciting contest against Svitolina. The two players had already met earlier in the tournament, with Andreeva winning their previous encounter.
Speaking about the upcoming final, Svitolina acknowledged her opponent’s performance and said she would work on improving her approach. “She played really well. All the credit to her in that match,” she said. She added, “Tomorrow I will have to do some homework and try to execute better, try to find the keys for the match, and hopefully I will play a better match.”
The semi-final victory also marked Svitolina’s 11th win against a top-10 player this season, matching her career-best record from 2017. She is among 14 players to reach at least three WTA Finals title matches. Svitolina said she values the tournament because it brings together the world’s best players. The final now offers her an opportunity to finish the season with a major championship.
