ELINA Svitolina and Elena Rybakina will face off in the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg after triumphing in their respective semi-finals today. Svitolina defeated fourth seed Aryna Sabalenka in three tight sets, while Rybakina got past unseeded Nao Hibino 6-3 6-4 to end the Japanese talent’s run at the semi-final stage.

Rybakina took an hour and 16 minutes to knock off Hibino, breaking twice and saving all three break point opportunities against her. Both players were fairly even throughout the contest, but it was the Kazakh’s ability to use her power and dictate the points off her first serve. She won 78 per cent of her first serve points, and 57 per cent off her second serve, higher than her opponent’s 65 and 52 per cent respectively.

By contrast, Rybakina won 70 per cent of her service points total, and 40 per cent of her return points, 10 per cent higher than Hibino on both counts. It allowed the young gun to make her way through to yet another final in what has been a huge year for the 21-year-old. It is the fifth final Rybakina will contest in 2020, a remarkable feat considering the season has more or less been wiped out since March.

Now Rybakina will look to take down second seed, Svitolina after she battled past Belarusian Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set contest. The Ukrainian started strongly to win the first set comfortably, before Sabalenka hit back to level the match. Another tight deciding set was neck-and-neck but the Ukrainian eventually triumphed 6-2 4-6 6-4 to book a spot in the final. Svitolina said she was thrilled to be through to another final.

“Winning titles is something that you always want to do when you enter the tournament,” Svitolina said post-match. “Every final is special, and you try to give everything that you have to have that trophy.”

With rain threatening to postpone the match further an an early brief interruption, it was Svitolina who took control with her serve, winning 73 per cent of her first serve points, and was calculated in her playing style, hitting a lot less winners than her opponent (39-17), but a lot less unforced errors as well.

“Each match, I’m playing better and better,” Svitolina said. “I played some good matches against top players, in Rome as well. I have the final tomorrow, so it’s important for me to take every match and move forward from there.”

Adding intrigue to the final, the two Elina/Elena’s have never faced off before, with Rybakina having more match wins than any other WTA Tour player this year with 28, but Svitolina has an efficient 14-3 in WTA Tour singles finals, and has the experience of 12 more titles than her five-year younger opponent. Both players have titles in 2020 however, with Svitolina winning her first title in two years by triumphing at Monterrey, while Svitolina won at Hobart for her second overall title, but came runner-up in Shenzhen, St. Petersburg and Dubai.

“I’m looking forward to the final,” Svitolina said. “Every final is special to me, and I have just excitement, I would say.”

Picture: Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso