Ukrainian Elina Svitolina has secured a surprising victory over world No. 2 Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan), overcoming 20 break points and saving 16 to reach the semi-finals of the Rome tournament for the first time in eight years.

Svitolina's fighting spirit, evident in her 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 2 hours and 23 minutes, has long been a hallmark of her glittering career, which includes two titles from this very tournament in Rome, won in consecutive years 2017 and 2018. But it had been eight years since she last reached the semi-finals.

With today’s win, Svitolina has evened her head-to-head record with Rybakina at 4-4 and will face another former champion, Iga Świątek (Poland), in the semi-finals. Earlier today, Świątek secured a victory over Jessica Pegula (USA) 6-1, 6-2 in 67 minutes.

Rybakina started strongly, taking the first set after breaking for 2-0 and then again in the final game for 6-2, where Svitolina showed her mettle. Four times she defended against attacks, but ultimately conceded.

In the second set, Svitolina improved her initial serve, broke for 3-2, and held on until the end. The third set turned into a true test of nerves, with Svitolina leading 3-0. Rybakina tried to recover and somewhat succeeded by seeking to exhaust Svitolina. But the decisive moment came in the eighth game, which Svitolina won with a comeback from 0-15.

Images: Imago