Iga Swiatek Sets Up Elina Svitolina Toronto Semi-Final

Iga Swiatek powered into the Toronto Masters semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Diana Shnaider, setting up a meeting with Elina Svitolina, who recovered from a set down to defeat Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.

The former world number one needed 64 minutes to get past Shnaider and will now play Svitolina for a place in the final. It is only Swiatek’s second WTA semi-final of the year after Rome, and she is chasing her first final appearance since lifting the Korea Open title in Seoul almost a year ago.

Svitolina, the ninth seed, reached the last four after a 93-minute comeback against Alexandrova. The Ukrainian won eight games in a row after losing the opening set and will face Swiatek in a significant late-stage contest in Toronto.

Swiatek takes control against Shnaider

Swiatek made a fast start against Shnaider and maintained control throughout a straight-sets win. She dropped only three points on her first serve and said she had intended to impose herself from the opening stages.

“From the beginning I went for it. I felt like I could dominate,” Swiatek said. “I was quite happy with the way I played. It was a tricky match with the wind. I thought I needed to adjust to that. I just wanted to be more solid.”

In the first set, Swiatek moved ahead 5-2 after breaking Shnaider for a second time, with the Russian putting a backhand into the net. Swiatek then served out the set in 31 minutes.

The second set followed a similar pattern. Swiatek earned a break for a 2-1 lead when Shnaider again found the net, before a forehand winner extended the advantage to 4-1. A third break completed the 6-2, 6-1 result.

The win sends the 25-year-old world number eight into a semi-final against an opponent she knows well. Swiatek leads Svitolina 4-3 in their WTA career rivalry, although Svitolina has won both of their meetings this year.

Svitolina rallies to earn Swiatek showdown

Svitolina faced a more complicated route against Alexandrova. An evenly contested first set went Alexandrova’s way after Svitolina sent a backhand long on serve, but the ninth seed responded emphatically.

Svitolina collected four breaks while blanking Alexandrova in the second set, then carried the momentum into the decider by moving 2-0 ahead. She was unable to close the match while serving in the eighth game of the final set, as a double fault gave Alexandrova a route back into the contest.

However, Svitolina immediately regained control. She broke to love and ended the match with a return winner to complete her comeback.

“Very pleased with my performance. With the fighting spirit,” Svitolina said. “She was playing really well in the first set. I had to really step into like a fighting mode.”

Looking ahead to Swiatek, Svitolina said she would work with her team on the challenge posed by the six-time Grand Slam champion. “I’m gonna talk with my team to adjust a little bit for Iga’s game,” she said. “Of course she’s a great champion. She plays really well this tournament. I have to bring my best.”

Toronto’s semi-final line-up now includes a Swiatek-Svitolina contest shaped by recent head-to-head results, Swiatek’s dominant quarter-final performance and Svitolina’s ability to recover under pressure.