Swiatek tops Svitolina to reach final of National Bank Open women’s tennis tournament

TORONTO - Iga Swiatek turned the tide in a crucial moment Wednesday night, clinching her first WTA Tour final appearance in over a year. The six-time Grand Slam champion from Poland surged to a 5-3 lead in the final set, converting her second match point to claim a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina. Swiatek, the No. 7 seed, spent two hours and 17 minutes on the court to secure the win.

The match was delayed by about an hour due to wet weather. Svitolina, the former world No. 1, struggled early on, dropping the first four games and appearing frustrated as her errors mounted. Swiatek dominated with strong net play and a relentless attack, employing her baseline power to her advantage. Svitolina clawed back in the second set, but it was too little, too late as she made errors, including a double-fault on triple-break point, allowing Swiatek to clinch the match.

This marks Swiatek's first WTA 1000 final since winning in Cincinnati last summer. Her previous WTA Tour final was in Seoul last September, where she secured her 25th career WTA title. This year, all four semifinalists are ranked within the top 10. The last time that occurred at the National Bank Open was in 2000, when Martina Hingis defeated Serena Williams for the championship.

The other semifinalists that year were Conchita Martinez and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. Canadian Victoria Mboko won the tournament last year in Montreal, but was unable to defend her title due to a knee injury.