FORT WORTH, Texas -- The semifinals are set at the WTA Finals, where No.1 Iga Swiatek will face No.7 Aryna Sabalenka and No.5 Maria Sakkari takes on No.6 Caroline Garcia.
How Swiatek advanced: Won the Tracy Austin Group, going 3-0 without the loss of a aset (d. No.4 Gauff, No.6 Garcia, No.8 Kasatkina)
How Sabalenka advanced: Finished second in the Nancy Richey Group, going 2-1 and losing three sets (d. No.2 Ons Jabeur, No.3 Jessica Pegula; l. No.5 Sakkari).
Head-to-head: Swiatek leads Sabalenka 4-1 and has won all four of their prior meetings this season
Fast facts: Swiatek is the first player to advance to the semifinals at the WTA Finals before turning 22 years old since Petra Kvitova in 2011 ... Swiatek won 40 of her 1st 45 matches as World No.1, bested only by Serena Williams winning 42 of her first 45 ... Swiatek has now won 15 consecutive matches vs. Top 10 opposition, tied for the longest single-season stream in the 2000s.
The World No.1 has picked up right where she left off when she finished the regular season by winning 14 of her past 15 matches, winning the US Open and the San Diego Open to take her tour-leading title court to eight. As she has been throughout her season, Swiatek is the one to beat.
While the rest of the tour was grinding it out at the Guadalajara Open Akron, Swiatek was resting and training in Florida. The results have been evident. Swiatek lost just 13 games during an undefeated run through the Tracy Austin Group, defeating Caroline Garcia, Daria Kasatkina and Coco Gauff.
There will be no secrets when Swiatek faces Sabalenka in the semifinals. It will be their fifth meeting of the season, with Swiatek winning all four this year. It will also be their second meeting at the WTA Finals. Sabalenka bested Swiatek last year in Guadalajara in three tough sets.
Despite the head-to-head, Swiatek is thoroughly aware of the threat Sabalenka presents. Their last meeting came in the US Open semifinals, where Swiatek came from a break down in the third set to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Sabalenka advanced to her first knockout stage at the WTA Finals with a little help from her friends. The No.7 seed went 2-1 in the Nancy Richey Group, with wins over No.2 Ons Jabeur and No.3 Jessica Pegula. But she needed Maria Sakkari to take a set off Jabeur in the last group match to book her advancement, and much to her relief, Sakkari won in straight sets to eliminate the Tunisian.
So that's 22 bagel sets for the year.
And 67 or 68 wins over all (I've honestly lost count). Just incredible stuff from Iga Swiatek this season.
And to think one year ago at this same tournament Iga only won one match. She lost to the 2 people she'll next be facing in the semis and finals (Sabalenka and possibly Sakkari).
What a difference a year makes.
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