Amanda Anisimova fought past World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in a three-set, winner-takes-all clash at the WTA Finals on Wednesday, rallying for a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 victory. Securing her a debut spot in the semifinals concluding the round-robin stage of the Serena Williams Group. The match was the third meeting between the pair this year, following Swiatek's Wimbledon final win and Anisimova's revenge in the US Open quarterfinals.
The opening set saw a tense battle with 12 straight holds of serve. Swiatek raised her level to take control in the tiebreak, clinching the first set when Anisimova struck a forehand long. However, the American showed resilience in the second set, earning the first break of the entire match in the tenth game to force a decider after two hours and 36 minutes of play. With confidence growing, Anisimova carved out a decisive break to surge 3-1 ahead in the third set, maintaining her composure to complete a comeback victory that improved her three-set record this season to 15-3.
In the group's other match, Elena Rybakina continued her run, securing a clean sweep of the Serena Williams Group with a 6-4, 6-4 win over second alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova. Rybakina, who finished round-robin play with a perfect 3-0 record, had already clinched the first semifinal berth before the match. Alexandrova stepped in after Madison Keys withdrew due to illness and Mirra Andreeva was deemed unfit.
For Swiatek, who was the 2023 year-end champion, the defeat means elimination in the round-robin stage for the second consecutive year. This is also the first time in the Polish player's career that she has lost two consecutive matches after winning the opening set. Swiatek reflected on her performance, stating, “Honestly, I did everything I could today, so like no regrets. I felt like I was really in the zone, positive mindset. I fought and really didn’t give up -- it wasn’t enough, which makes me sad.” She added, "Maybe I won too much in the last years and this is karma."
Anisimova, who finished second in the Serena Williams Group, will await the results of the Stefanie Graf Group matches to determine her semifinal opponent. The final round-robin matches on Thursday will feature World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka against defending champion Coco Gauff, with both players still in contention for the knockout stage, and Jessica Pegula facing the already eliminated Jasmine Paolini.
