WTA Finals live: Iga Swiatek v Amanda Anisimova latest score from group decider after Madison Keys withdraws

Swiatek holds from break point down as Anisimova goes long on the forehand. A six-minute first game but Swiatek dug deep to repel what Anisimova was throwing at her.

Anisimova is looking to make a quick start. Two backhand winners crosscourt bring up break point – but the American goes long on the forehand return.

Swiatek blew her nose into tissue by her towel box during the game. Could she be feeling ill as well?

Swiatek won the WTA Finals in 2023 while Anisimova is making her tournament debut in 2025.

The winner will face one of Sabalenka, Gauff or Pegula on Friday, whoever comes out on top in the other group.

Swiatek and Anisimova have played twice this season and both matches were memorable for very different reasons, from Swiatek’s 6-0 6-0 win in the Wimbledon final to Anisimova’s revenge victory in the US Open quarter-finals seven weeks later.

Both players simply need to win to join Rybakina in the semi-finals.

Swiatek completely collapsed in her defeat against Rybakina two days ago, while Anisimova has been slow to settle into the tournament but secured a comeback win over Madison Keys to get herself going. The American had been in some good form ahead of the Finals.

Elena Rybakina is now on a seven-match winning run ahead of the semi-finals, where she will play one of Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff or Jessica Pegula.

“It was tough, especially in the second set. I was up and then I lost a bit of concentration and, I mean Katerina is always a tough opponent,” Rybakina said.

“Definitely each win gives you confidence – I’m pretty happy that for now the last matches has been great and hopefully I can continue through to the semi-finals.”

After leading 5-2 and up a double-break, Rybakina has a little trouble closing it out, with two double faults in her final game.

But the 2022 Wimbledon winner makes it three wins out of three in Riyadh to continue her strong end of season form. She was already through as the group winner.

Despite not being able to advance, Alexandrova made it fairly competitive after replacing the ill Madison Keys in the dead-rubber.

The taping of Rybakina’s shoulder does not seem to be causing her too much of a problem. She breaks Alexandrova to lead 5-4 in the first set, before closing out the opener on serve in 35 minutes. Assured stuff from Rybakina, who is already through as the group winner.

Rybakina and Alexandrova recently met in the final of the Ningbo Open, which helped Rybakina complete her late push to qualify for the WTA Finals. She came from a set down to win 3-6 6-0 6-2 .

Alexandrova, who broke into the world’s top 10 for the first time last month at the age of 30, has made an assured start, leading 3-2 on serve. Rybakina appears to have some new strapping around her right shoulder and upper arm.

It may be a dead-rubber, with Elena Rybakina already through as group winner and Ekaterina Alexandrova unable to advance ahead of Iga Swiatek or Amanda Anisimova, but there’s still 200 ranking points and $355,000 on the line. As she is so far undefeated, Rybakina is still competing for a maximum prize of $5,235,000.

Participant fee: $340,000

Round robin win: $355,000

Semi-final win: $1,290,000

Coco Gauff’s straight-sets victory over Jasmine Paolini and Aryna Sabalenka’s three-sets victory over Jessica Pegula yesterday means all of Gauff, Sabalenka and Pegula are still able to advance to the semi-finals.

Pegula is scheduled to play the already-eliminated Paolini tomorrow, while Sabalenka and Gauff meet in a rematch of their French Open final.

Sabalenka will book her place in the semi-finals regardless of any other outcome with a win over Gauff.

But if Gauff wins in straight-sets and Pegula wins in straight-sets, both Americans will go through and Sabalenka will be out with two wins.

If Pegula wins in straight-sets and Gauff wins in three sets, it will go down to % of games won.