Key Takeaways
- Polish player Maja Chwalinska defeated Iga Swiatek in the Wuhan Open semi-final.
- Chwalinska will face world number 170 Sonay Kartal in the final.
- Swiatek, battling a left thigh injury, lost to Chwalinska in a tough match.
Polish 16th seed Maja Chwalinska overcame an injured Iga Swiatek to reach the first WTA 1000 final of her career, defeating her childhood friend and compatriot in a 7-5, 6-1 match at the Wuhan Open on Saturday.
Swiatek, who needed to win the title to increase her chances of qualifying for the year-end WTA Finals, was hampered by a left thigh injury during the match, which limited her movement against Chwalinska, a crafty left-handed opponent.
The momentum swung back and forth in the opening set, with Swiatek attempting to serve for a one-set lead at 5-3. However, she could not close the deal, and Chwalinska eventually took the set 80 minutes later.
Ahead of game 12, Swiatek took a medical timeout and was in pain and in tears while getting her left thigh attended to. Despite this, she could not do much to stop Chwalinska, who wrapped up the victory in two hours and eight minutes.
Chwalinska, who is contesting just her fourth WTA 1000 main draw, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to share the court with Swiatek, calling her a 'great champion, a living legend.'
Meanwhile, world number 170 Sonay Kartal, who is playing just her second tour event since returning from a six-month injury layoff, secured a gritty 7-6(11/9), 7-6(7-5) win over Jelena Ostapenko to become the lowest-ranked player to reach a WTA 1000 final.
Kartal, 24, showed tremendous composure and dug herself out of multiple holes to become the first British finalist in Wuhan Open history. She described the match as one of the toughest she has ever played, having survived 50 break points.
The final showdown will feature Chwalinska, who made a surprise run to the French Open final as a qualifier back in June, and Kartal, who is making a remarkable comeback after a spinal stress fracture sidelined her from March to September.
Chwalinska expressed her pride in reaching the final, stating, 'Obviously Iga wasn’t 100 per cent today, so I wish her all the best, of course. It’s always tough to play against a fellow Polish player. She’s a great champion, a living legend, she won everything. So it was a great honour for me to share the court with her today.'
Obviously Iga wasn’t 100 per cent today, so I wish her all the best, of course.
Maja Chwalinska, 16th seed Polish player
Wow, that was probably one of the toughest matches I’ve ever played.
Sonay Kartal, 24-year-old British player
