Category Sports News

Elena Rybakina stunned Iga Swiatek to confirm her place in the knockout stages of the WTA Finals while Amanda Anisimova produced a comeback victory to stay in contention in Riyadh.

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina was outplayed in the opening set against world number two Swiatek but completely dominated thereafter.

Sixth seed Rybakina won 12 of the final 13 games to storm to a 3-6 6-1 6-0 win and snap a four-match losing streak against Swiatek.

“Mentally, I am happy that I stayed focused. I got some confidence in the second set and everything was going my way,” Rybakina said.

“Hopefully I will play like that through the whole tournament.”

Anisimova battled back from a set and a break down to beat compatriot Keys 4-6 6-3 6-2 and set up a winner-takes-all final group match against Poland’s Swiatek on Wednesday.

Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Anisimova, appearing at her first Finals, let out a roar of frustration after going 2-0 down in the second set but recovered superbly to win 12 of the next 15 games.

Keys did not shake hands with Anisimova at the end of the match, explaining to her opponent that she was ill.

Rybakina was backed to challenge Aryna Sabalenka and Swiatek for the sport’s top prizes after her Wimbledon triumph in 2022.

But, while the world’s current top two have won eight of the 13 slams since then, the 26-year-old Kazakh has been unable to build on that breakout success.

Swiatek had won all four of her previous meetings with Rybakina in 2025, losing only one set in the process, and leads the WTA Tour for match wins this year (62).

Rybakina, who only secured her spot at the year-end championships two weeks ago, responded emphatically after Swiatek edged the opening set with an early break of serve.

The tour leader for total aces in 2025 (480), the big-hitting Rybakina found rhythm on serve and forced Swiatek to play deep behind the baseline, while Swiatek’s own first serve points won fell from 90% in the first set to 53% in the second.

A double break of serve ensured Rybakina swiftly restored parity – and the outcome never appeared in doubt after she rallied from 40-15 down to break Swiatek at the start of the final set.

A fading Swiatek was powerless to halt her opponent’s progress as she amassed 42 unforced errors – 36 of which came in sets two and three – compared to just 12 winners.

Rybakina completed a statement first win over Swiatek for 19 months with a second serve ace to extend her winning run to eight matches.

Elena Rybakina stunned Iga Swiatek to confirm her place in the knockout stages of the WTA Finals while Amanda Anisimova produced a comeback victory to stay in contention in Riyadh.

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina was outplayed in the opening set against world number two Swiatek but completely dominated thereafter.

Sixth seed Rybakina won 12 of the final 13 games to storm to a 3-6 6-1 6-0 win and snap a four-match losing streak against Swiatek.

“Mentally, I am happy that I stayed focused. I got some confidence in the second set and everything was going my way,” Rybakina said.

“Hopefully I will play like that through the whole tournament.”

Anisimova battled back from a set and a break down to beat compatriot Keys 4-6 6-3 6-2 and set up a winner-takes-all final group match against Poland’s Swiatek on Wednesday.

Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Anisimova, appearing at her first Finals, let out a roar of frustration after going 2-0 down in the second set but recovered superbly to win 12 of the next 15 games.

Keys did not shake hands with Anisimova at the end of the match, explaining to her opponent that she was ill.

Rybakina was backed to challenge Aryna Sabalenka and Swiatek for the sport’s top prizes after her Wimbledon triumph in 2022.

But, while the world’s current top two have won eight of the 13 slams since then, the 26-year-old Kazakh has been unable to build on that breakout success.

Swiatek had won all four of her previous meetings with Rybakina in 2025, losing only one set in the process, and leads the WTA Tour for match wins this year (62).

Rybakina, who only secured her spot at the year-end championships two weeks ago, responded emphatically after Swiatek edged the opening set with an early break of serve.

The tour leader for total aces in 2025 (480), the big-hitting Rybakina found rhythm on serve and forced Swiatek to play deep behind the baseline, while Swiatek’s own first serve points won fell from 90% in the first set to 53% in the second.

A double break of serve ensured Rybakina swiftly restored parity – and the outcome never appeared in doubt after she rallied from 40-15 down to break Swiatek at the start of the final set.

A fading Swiatek was powerless to halt her opponent’s progress as she amassed 42 unforced errors – 36 of which came in sets two and three – compared to just 12 winners.

Rybakina completed a statement first win over Swiatek for 19 months with a second serve ace to extend her winning run to eight matches.

The English Football League has criticised the “undermining” of the Carabao Cup after it was forced to compromise on the date of Crystal Palace’s quarter-final because of fixture congestion.

Palace will now face Arsenal in the last eight at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, 23 December at 20:00 GMT.

The other three quarter-finals take place the previous week but the Eagles’ commitments in the Uefa Conference League – they host Finnish club KuPS at Selhurst Park on 18 December – has left them with four games in nine days.

Palace host Manchester City on 14 December and are away to Leeds on 21 December, either side of the KuPS game.

A statement from the EFL was critical of the “expansion of European cup competitions” which it believes was “implemented without adequate consultation with domestic leagues”.

The EFL said it had “shown a willingness to compromise” but scheduling conflicts are “now entirely unavoidable”.

“To continue making endless concessions only serves to undermine the reputation of the EFL Cup,” said the statement.

“It also challenges the traditional scheduling of the English football calendar and strength of our domestic game.”

Uefa’s European calendar now stretches across 10 midweeks, rather than the six of two seasons ago, with the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League each given a standalone week for exposure.

It has caused a huge logistical headache, with the third round of the EFL Cup having to be seeded and played across two weeks to keep clubs in the Champions League and Europa League apart.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner said last week it would be “irresponsible” if the club were forced to play two games in three days.

The EFL said it shared the “frustration and concern” of managers and players concerning the congested programme which deprived clubs of the “necessary time for preparation” and ability to “field their strongest line-ups” in the EFL Cup.

The Premier League recently blamed the increased number of European fixtures for there being just one game on 26 December in the English top flight.