Svitolina and Andreeva set up WTA Finals title rematch

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Elina Svitolina and Mirra Andreeva will contest the WTA Finals title after straight-sets semi-final victories in Indian Wells on Saturday. Svitolina defeated Linda Noskova 6–2, 6–1, while Andreeva beat Jessica Pegula 6–3, 6–4.

Sunday’s championship match will repeat their opening group encounter, which Andreeva won 6–4, 6–0. The 19-year-old has since maintained an unbeaten campaign, winning all four matches without dropping a set.

Svitolina lost her opening service game against Noskova but took control thereafter. The Wimbledon champion struggled to sustain her challenge, making 11 double faults and 27 unforced errors and holding serve only twice.

The Ukrainian’s victory continued a recovery that began after her heavy opening defeat. Wins over Karolina Muchova and Aryna Sabalenka had carried her through the group stage before she secured another appearance in the tournament’s final.

Svitolina won the year-end title in Singapore in 2018. She now has an opportunity to claim a second crown, having reached the championship match for the third time.

Andreeva also had to respond to an early setback against Pegula. The American broke in the third game, but Andreeva immediately recovered the break and went on to take the opening set.

Pegula led 3–1 in the second before Andreeva won four successive games. After Pegula held to make it 5–4, Andreeva served out the match to reach her sixth final of the season.

The WTA says Andreeva has conceded only 18 games on her way to the final, the fewest since the event introduced its current round-robin format in 2003. The singles title match is scheduled for noon local time on Sunday, 15 November, equivalent to 8pm GMT.