Elena Rybakina put an end to defending champion Iga Swiatek’s impressive 10-match winning streak in Stuttgart on Saturday, securing her spot in the final of the clay-court tournament.
In a hard-fought semi-final encounter, the fourth seed emerged victorious with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 scoreline, surprising the Polish world number one who had clinched the last two titles at the German tournament.
Rybakina now holds a 4-2 career head-to-head record against the four-time Grand Slam winner and is set to compete in her fifth final of 2024 on Sunday.
“Like always it was a very tough match,” Rybakina said of her opponent.
“My serve helped me a lot in important moments. I was fighting for the ball.
“It was such a close match. I’m really happy I managed to win and could show a good game.”
The winners of the Stuttgart tournament, backed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche, are awarded a car as a prize. However, Rybakina disclosed that the prize would hold little value for her.
“I actually don’t have a driver’s licence,” said Rybakina who has titles to her name this season in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi and runners-up spots at Doha and Miami.
In Sunday’s final, the 24-year-old Rybakina will compete against either Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine or Marketa Vondrousova, the Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic.
