Elina Svitolina moved a step closer to the last four of the WTA Finals with an impressive 6-3 2-6 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova.
The Ukrainian, 24, will qualify for the semi-finals in Singapore unless both the Czech and Caroline Wozniacki win their last round robin matches.
Whatever happens, the World No.7 will be delighted to finish the year with wins over Pliskova and Petra Kvitova, particularly as they are the first top ten players she has overcome since she beat Halep in the Rome final in May.
It was a high-quality match between the sixth and seventh seeds, and Svitolina produced an excellent performance in the first set. She survived a marathon service game early on by playing the six break points she faced superbly, and then put that struggle out of her mind to hold to love next time around.
This sequence from the Ukrainian seemed to deflate Pliskova, and she surrendered her serve love to give the World No.7 a 4-2 lead.
The Czech battled hard to try and get back into the set, but Svitolina was up to the task. She saved two more break points in the ninth game to seal the set 6-3.
Pliskova hits back to level the match
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However, if the Ukrainian thought she had a chance to win in straight sets, her hopes of doing that were rapidly extinguished as Pliskova played a near-perfect second set.
She served brilliantly throughout and dropped just four points in total during four of the most comfortable holds you are ever likely to see. She also hit 15 winners and made just three unforced errors.
Pliskova’s dominance on serve gradually cranked up the pressure on Svitolina, who was still playing well, and the Ukrainian eventually lost her serve to love in the sixth game. The Czech then broke again in game eight to take the set 6-2 and level the match.
Svitolina outplays Pliskova in decider
After her brilliance in set two, Pliskova suffered a dip in the opening game of the decider. She made a double-fault to slip 15-40 down and Svitolina pounced on the second break point to grab the early advantage.
The Ukrainian backed up the break with an emphatic hold to love, and then earned more chances to break at 15-40 in the Czech’s next service game.
Pliskova saved both with good serves, but Svitolina then had a third chance, which she took with a good return that the Czech was unable to get back over the net.
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The sixth seed really had a spring in her step in game six. She skipped around the court and slammed the ball into the corners during a comfortable hold that moved the score along to 4-0 in her favour.
Pliskova dug in and held serve in game five, and then earned one of the breaks she needed in game six. However, Svitolina hit a couple of huge winners to set up another break which took her within one game of victory.
Despite the latest setback, the Czech refused to give in. She hit two superb winners to earn three break points on the Ukrainian’s serve. Svitolina saved the first two but gave away the third with a double fault.
Thankfully for the Ukrainian, she did not have to try and serve for the match again. Pliskova made three sloppy errors to gift her three breaks, and she gleefully accepted the third with a forehand winner down the line.
Svitolina reflects on her superb performance
“I’m very happy with the way I played today,” Svitolina said in her post-match interview. “I had to stay really focused because Karolina can serve amazingly well and you have to be ready and up on your feet all the time.”
She continued, “(Playing last year) definitely helped me a lot. Last year I was probably too nervous and I couldn’t really enjoy it. This time it’s better – I’m more relaxed and playing better tennis.”