Photo: EPA
Elina Svitolina advanced to the final of the prestigious WTA 1000 tournament in Rome after defeating former world No. 1 Iga Świątek in a three-set semifinal battle.
The Ukrainian, currently ranked No. 10 in the world, won 6:4, 2:6, 6:2 against the Polish star, who now sits third in the WTA rankings. It was the seventh meeting between the two players, with Świątek still leading the head-to-head record 4–3.
In the final on May 16, Svitolina will face world No. 4 Coco Gauff. The match will mark their first meeting on clay, while Svitolina leads their overall head-to-head series 3–2.
For the 31-year-old Ukrainian, it will be the sixth WTA 1000 final of her career. She previously won the Rome title in 2017 and 2018. Overall, this will be her 25th singles final and an opportunity to claim her 20th WTA title.
Earlier in the tournament, Svitolina also eliminated world No. 2 Elena Rybakina.
