ELENA Rybakina advanced to the semifinals of the WTA Finals after rallying past Iga Swiatek, 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, while Amanda Anisimova outlasted fellow American Madison Keys, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Swiatek, the world No. 2, struggled with 36 unforced errors in the last two sets, while Rybakina committed just 17. The win ended Rybakina’s four-match losing streak to the six-time Grand Slam champion and secured her second straight victory in round-robin play after defeating Anisimova on Saturday.
“It was difficult to be down, but in the second set I pushed myself — my serve improved, and I played better on each point,” said Rybakina.
Swiatek looked dominant early, winning the first three games and taking the opening set 6-3 by targeting Rybakina’s body on serve. But momentum shifted quickly in the second, as a double fault and an error from Swiatek gave Rybakina an early break.
The Kazakh star held serve with an ace to go up 3-0 and broke again to claim the set 6-1.
In the decider, Rybakina took full control as Swiatek unraveled, producing 17 more unforced errors. Rybakina swept the set 6-0 to complete the comeback.
Anisimova defeats Keys
Anisimova, meanwhile, bounced back from a sluggish start to earn her first win of the tournament against Keys, who was undone by 12 double faults — four times more than her opponent.
The match opened with four consecutive service breaks before Keys held for a 5-4 lead and captured the first set behind her strong serving.
She built a 2-0 advantage in the second, but errors and double faults allowed Anisimova to break back and take five of the next six games to even the match.
The fourth seed carried her momentum into the final set, overwhelming an exhausted Keys with sharp cross-court winners and steady baseline play. Anisimova closed out the decider in just 34 minutes.
“It was quite a battle out there,” Anisimova said. “I’m just really happy with the way I was able to turn things around in the second set and keep my focus.”
Rybakina next faces Keys in her final group match, while Swiatek — who beat Keys on Saturday — will take on Anisimova.
In the other group, top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who opened with a win over Jasmine Paolini, was facing Jessica Pegula as of presstime on Tuesday. Pegula is also chasing her second straight victory after defeating Coco Gauff on Sunday. / FROM THE WIRES