Elina Svitolina Triumphs Over Iga Swiatek to Reach Italian Open Final
Svitolina's Remarkable Comeback
File image of Elina Svitolina(Photo: @DeCorreccion/X)
Rome, May 15: Elina Svitolina, a two-time champion, achieved a stunning victory over three-time titleholder Iga Swiatek with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in the semifinals of the Italian Open, securing her place in the final for the third time.
This marks Svitolina's return to the final for the first time since her consecutive wins in 2017 and 2018. She is set to compete against Coco Gauff, having previously defeated the American twice this year, as both players aim for their inaugural WTA 1000 title of the season.
Svitolina has now triumphed over Swiatek on two occasions this year, including a three-set victory in the quarterfinals at the Paribas Open in March.
"It feels unreal to be back in the final after so many years," Svitolina expressed following her match against Swiatek, which lasted 2 hours and 14 minutes. "It’s an incredible feeling to achieve this in such a remarkable way, I believe."
In the semifinal, Svitolina successfully saved 11 out of 16 break points, including all five she faced in the final set. She has encountered (59) and saved (44) the highest number of break points of any player in a single WTA main draw this season, excluding team and Grand Slam events.
Her overall record against Gauff stands at 3-2, having secured victories against the two-time Grand Slam champion at both the Australian Open and in Dubai.
The age difference between Svitolina and Gauff, which is 9 years and 182 days, represents the largest gap in an Internazionali d’Italia final since Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles faced off for the title in 1990, according to WTA statistics.
Interestingly, Gauff has become the youngest American since Venus Williams in 1998-99 to reach consecutive finals at the Italian Open. She is also the first player to achieve back-to-back finals in Rome since Iga Swiatek in 2021-22.