Elena Rybakina progressed into the Stuttgart Open final with an epic 6-3 4-6 6-3 semi-final victory over world No.1 Iga Swiatek.
In the latest instalment of the pair’s rivalry at the top of women’s tennis, it was Rybakina who made her way into the final on the indoor clay, where she will play either Marta Kostyuk or Marketa Vondrousova.
“It was, like always, a tough match,” Rybakina said.
“I was fighting for every ball and it was such a close match, and I’m really happy that I managed to win and that I showed a good game.
“It’s always tough to play Iga. We always push each other.”
Swiatek broke Rybakina in the opening game before taking a quickfire hold to seize an early advantage.
However, the world No.1 surrendered her serve twice with Rybakina showcasing her terrific return game by emphatically breaking to love at 2-2.
The Kazakh was left to rue several missed chances to draw first blood though, squandering four set points to give Swiatek a crucial hold to prolong the set at 5-3 down.
Rybakina eventually moved 1-0 ahead on her own serve to wrap up the first set in 49 minutes, but Swiatek’s response was impressive.
The Pole was now showing very few chinks in her service game, while Rybakina also proved to be a tough nut to crack herself in a set which threatened to go the distance.
That resistance was eventually broken in the tenth game with Swiatek levelling up the match on her first set point after breaking the Kazakh to 30.
The decider was just as cagey, as both players claimed a hold of serve each before Swiatek swatted away four break points in an attritional third game to move 2-1 ahead.
It looked like the tide of the match was turning Rybakina’s way with a first break of serve in the decider to move 3-2 ahead.
Swiatek missed the chance for an immediate break back as Rybakina created daylight between the two players at 4-2.
After a further hold of serve for both players, Rybakina then saw the first match point come and go in a tense eighth game on the Pole’s serve, before wrapping it up on the second.