Rybakina to face Kostyuk in Stuttgart final after ending Swiatek's 10-match streak / Photo: THOMAS KIENZLE - AFP
Rybakina to face Kostyuk in Stuttgart final after ending Swiatek's 10-match streak
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.
Fourth seed Rybakina 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, 24, who has titles to her name this season in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi and runners-up spots at Doha and Miami.
Rybakina will face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, who defeated Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 in Saturday's second semi-final.
Kostyuk took just one hour 35 minutes to win, just a day after coming through a three-hour epic against American Coco Gauff.
The 21-year-old Ukrainian will place in her second final of the season, having finished runner up to Brit Katie Boulter at the San Diego Open in March.
A.Kenneally--NG
