Rybakina ends Swiatek’s winning streak, to reach final at Stuttgart Open - GulfToday

Rybakina ends Swiatek’s winning streak, to reach final at Stuttgart Open

Elena-Rybakina-Germany

Elena Rybakina reacts after winning her semi-final match against Iga Swiatek in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, on Saturday. AFP

Elena Rybakina ended defending champion Iga Swiatek's 10-match winning streak in Stuttgart on Saturday to reach the final of the clay-court tournament.

The fourth seed came through their semi-final clash 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, stunning the Polish world number one who had captured the last two titles at the German tournament.

Rybakina now boasts a 4-2 career head-to-head record against the four-time Grand Slam winner and will be playing 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." Winners of the Stuttgart tournament, sponsored by German automobile company Porsche, receive a car but Rybakina revealed the prize would be of little use.

"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.

Rybakina, 24, will face either Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk or Marketa Vondrousova, the Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic, in Sunday's final.

Associated Press

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