Tennis: Sabalenka stuns Swiatek to set up WTA Finals showdown with Garcia

November 07, 2022 8:24 PMTEXAS – Aryna Sabalenka toppled world No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 on Sunday to set up a title clash with Caroline Garcia at the season-ending WTA Finals. Seventh-ranked Sabalenka avenged a three-set defeat to Poland’s Swiatek in the semi-finals of the US Open, where Swiatek went on to capture her second Grand Slam of the year after her victory at Roland Garros. Sixth-ranked Garcia of France had powered past Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-2 in the other semi-final. Sabalenka, who called it a “miracle” that she qualified for the event after her mid-season struggles, fired 23 winners, including a dozen aces, with just 19 unforced errors. Swiatek, whose remarkable season included eight singles titles and a run of 37 straight match victories, saw her 15-match winning streak against top-10 players end. “I just want to make sure that every time she plays against me, she knows that she really has to work hard to get a win,” said Sabalenka, who had lost all four of her previous matches against Swiatek this year. “Only because of this thinking, I was able to play such an amazing level tonight.”