Elina Svitolina credited her fighting spirit and a touch of self-directed anger for a gritty comeback win over Karolina Muchova at the WTA Finals on Wednesday, keeping her semi-final hopes alive.
From Frustration to Triumph
After a disappointing 6-4 6-0 loss to Mirra Andreeva in her opening group match, Svitolina found herself in familiar trouble against Muchova, dropping the first set and calling for a medical timeout to treat a right hip injury. But the Ukrainian sixth seed dug deep, saving an early break point in the second set before gradually wearing down her opponent to secure a 3-6 6-2 6-2 victory.
Muchova, the Wimbledon runner-up, struggled with consistency, committing 39 unforced errors, most of which came off her forehand. Svitolina's relentless pressure forced the Czech to surrender an early break in the third set and another with her eighth double fault of the match. When the final point was won, Svitolina tipped her head back and roared in celebration.
Channelling Anger
"I was really angry at myself after the first match and the first set," Svitolina told Sky Sports. "Sometimes it [channelling frustration] happens in a good way and sometimes in a bad way. I tried to direct my anger towards the ball and I found my game in the end."
The victory marks Svitolina's ninth win over a top-10 player this year and her first at the WTA Finals since she claimed the title in 2019. She can still qualify for the last four in California, but her fate will not be known until after Aryna Sabalenka's match against Andreeva.
Norrie Falls, Rune Advances in Stockholm
At the Stockholm Open, Britain's Cameron Norrie was beaten 7-5 6-3 by world number 10 Taylor Fritz. Meanwhile, Denmark's Holger Rune continued his remarkable comeback from a ruptured Achilles, defeating Miomir Kecmanovic 2-6 6-1 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals. Rune only returned to the ATP Tour in October after a gruelling 12-month recovery.
In other news, Emma Raducanu is set to return at January's United Cup after her injury lay-off, while Linda Noskova produced a brilliant performance to dismantle Coco Gauff and reach the WTA Finals last four.
