Iga Swiatek’s message was clear.
After swiftly and confidently steering the opening set of Wednesday’s semifinal match against Elina Svitolina, then just as suddenly losing her way in the second, the world No. 8 wasn’t about to dwell on the past — however recent it was.
“It’s not going to be easy,” she told herself ahead of the third set. “But if I want to win a semifinal, where you know your opponent is playing good, I need to step up, and there’s no looking back.”
So, she fixed her gaze forward and righted her path en route to a resilient 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory that saw her down, but never out.
“Like, you kind of start from the beginning when we start the third set,” said Swiatek post-match, affording herself a little time to reflect on her in-game headspace. “It doesn’t matter what happened in the second, I know what to do in the third, and I just needed to follow that.”
Now, Swiatek is looking forward to the final of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, where she’ll take on world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, whose semifinal victory over No. 4 Coco Gauff late Wednesday night required some resilience of her own.
When studied separately, Wednesday’s star-studded semifinal showdowns presented some fascinating chess matches between players well-suited to their respective opponent’s game. The opening bout between Swiatek and No. 9 Svitolina featured two competitors that appeared to battle not just one another but themselves, too. They each set and overcame a series of small mental obstacles on their own side of the court while battling the contender at the other. Shots Swiatek was making in the first simply weren’t there in the second. The reverse was true for Svitolina, who took command on the middle frame with a masterclass in breaking serve to dismantle Swiatek’s game — but not her resolve.
“I knew I can do it, because I did it in the first set. I had it in me, I just needed to find the right rhythm,” Swiatek explained. “I’m happy that I was patient enough to do that and didn’t get disappointed or didn’t give up, and just found a way to play better in the third.”
Swiatek wins match point over Svitolina to punch ticket to NBO final
Watch as Iga Swiatek wins match point against Elina Svitolina to punch her ticket to the National Bank Open final.
While Swiatek’s win over Svitolina was defined by long rallies — fitting, for a contest that took over two hours to resolve — between two of the game’s best precision-hitters, the battle that followed it was more about quick strikes and power and grabbing hold of the service game.
Running on little sleep after Tuesday night’s marathon match against Naomi Osaka, Rybakina defeated Gauff 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. It marked Rybakina’s third three-set victory in four days.
Though Gauff was the better-rested opponent Wednesday, having won her quarterfinal contest by default following Belinda Bencic’s injury withdrawal, it was Rybakina who took over as the match went deeper into the night. Rybakina’s commanding serve was on full display Wednesday, throwing down five aces against Gauff (who had three of her own) and just one double fault (Gauff committed six). She held serve all but once, and broke Gauff’s four times to overcome an early deficit following a closely contested first set. It was all Rybakina from that point on.
“She served really well the first set,” Rybakina said of Gauff post-match. “I knew that I need to start straight away the second set well. I’m happy that I did couple good returns, and then things turned around. She also started to feel a bit of pressure, some double-faults. I just kept on going, and I’m happy that I won.”
There’s no rest for the winners here in Toronto, but that suits Rybakina just fine.
“I guess the adrenaline and so many hours on the court helped a bit,” she said of her win.
There will surely be plenty more adrenaline to come under the bright lights of Centre Court Thursday night with the NBO title on the line (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+ at 6 p.m. ET). This is Rybakina’s second WTA 1000 final this season, and her first-ever Canadian Open final after three semifinal appearances. Swiatek, too, is vying for her first Canadian title after reaching the semifinal once before in 2023.
Thursday’s meeting will mark the 13th career matchup between the two, with their head-to-head record tied 6-6 thus far. Rybakina has the edge recently, having defeated Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open back in January to start this season with a grand slam win.
But neither competitor is looking back now. It’s only forward from here.
But first, maybe just a little bit of rest.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but I definitely give my best and, yeah, let’s see,” said Rybakina. “Most important is to get some sleep.”
