
SHENZHEN - Holder Elina Svitolina will face world number one Ash Barty in the end-of-season WTA Finals showpiece on Sunday after they got past Belinda Bencic and Karolina Pliskova respectively in the semi-finals at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.
Australian Barty beat second-seeded Pliskova 4-6 6-2 6-3 after grinding down the big-serving Czech on Saturday to seal her first appearance in the final of the tour championship.
Svitolina had earlier sealed her spot in a second straight final after Bencic retired midway through the third set due to cramp as she trailed 5-7 6-3 4-1, having forced the Ukrainian to drop a set for the first time in the tournament.
Pliskova put Barty's serve under real pressure early in the first set and that eventually paid off when the Czech broke the Australian in the fifth game before going on to claim the set.
But the top seed showed her tenacity in the second as she fought back, twice breaking Pliskova to take the match to a deciding set, where she overcame the Czech to secure her spot in the final, successfully converting on her second match point.