'A perfect ending' - Martina Navratilova on 50-50 semi-final between 'Amazon' Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek
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ByOli Gent
Published 05/11/2023 at 18:14 GMT
Martina Navratilova has labelled Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek's WTA World Tour semi-final in Cancun as "a perfect ending" to the season, but she is disappointed that the match has come a game early, rather than in the final. Instead, the winner of the match will face Jessica Pegula, the world No. 5, who beat Coco Gauff in the all-American encounter on Saturday.
‘A job needs to be done’ - Sabalenka retains focus for WTA Finals in Cancun
Martina Navratilova has called the delayed WTA World Tour semi-final between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek "a 50-50", in what she feels is "a perfect ending" to the season.
Swiatek and Sabalenka started their semi-final late after poor weather in Cancun had delayed Pegula and Gauff's match earlier on Saturday, and play between the world's No. 1 and 2 was suspended after just 19 minutes, with the Pole leading 2-1 in the opening set.
Navratilova, speaking to the WTA as an ambassador, correctly predicted Jessica Pegula to beat Coco Gauff in the all-American semi-final, with Pegula, the world No. 5, expecting the victor of Sabalenka and Swiatek in the final.
“If you think about it, it’s unbelievable; a perfect ending, except for the fact it’s the semi-finals, instead of the finals," Navratilova said.
"Bottom line, who can handle the pressure better with so much riding on it? Aryna was an Amazon (an Ancient Greek female warrior) for two days, so I think it’s 50-50.
“When Sabalenka’s ball comes in fast, the wind makes it easier to handle. Overall, the wind favours Swiatek. With her spin, she’s able to navigate those gusts. There’s much less that can go wrong with her game.
“For me, a massive thing is who is No. 1 at the end of the year.
"Then, who wins this. It's the biggest tournament of our tour. So any time you can put that into your trophy case, you’re doing pretty well. Now you get a trophy for being No. 1 at the end of the year.”
On the qualified finalist and her compatriot Pegula, Navratilova said: "I think this court and the conditions suit the short, compact strokes we see from Pegula. Very little goes wrong, and she moves well. She dominated the toughest of the two groups."
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