By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, September 26, 2019
Alison Riske won 18 of 21 trips to net stunning third-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-3 to set up a Wuhan semifinal vs. two-time champion Petra Kvitova.
Photo credit: @LibemaOpen
A forward-thinking Alison Riske gave Elina Svitolina the runaround—and surged into the Wuhan Open semifinals.
Attacking with vigor, Riske won 18 of 21 trips to net stunning the third-ranked Svitolina 6-1, 6-3 for her third Top 5 victory of the season.
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The 29-year-old American beat Svitolina for the first time in four meetings for her eighth career Top 10 triumph.
Dictating play for much of the match, Riske served 82 percent, converted five of 13 break points and more than doubled Svitolina's winner total—25 to 11— in a one hour, 24-minute victory.
"I am so excited," Riske said. "I'm thrilled to have won today. I knew it was gonna be a battle coming in. I'm just very pleased with the way I fought.
"I think we have some Americans (fans) in the corner, which is amazing. Now you guys have to come back for every match I play."
It was a dynamic performance from Riske, who showed her tenacity in the opening game. Riske converted her sixth break point capping an epic 14-minute, 24-point game with the break that helped spark her to a 4-0 lead.
The flat-hitting Riske closed net with urgency winning all 13 net trips she made in the first set.
Continuing to rip returns, Riske raced to a 5-2 second-set lead.
Svitolina slid an ace down the middle holding for 3-5 before Riske served out her third Top 5 win of the season after she saved five championship points upsetting No. 4 Kiki Bertens in the 's-Hertogenbosch final before toppling top-seeded Ashleigh Barty en route to her first major quarterfinal at Wimbledon.
Riske will play two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova for a place in the final.
Two-time Wuhan champion Kvitova broke serve four times in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Dayana Yastremska, a day after the teenager upset second-seeded Karolina Pliskova, 6-1, 6-4. Riske and Kvitova have split two career meetings with Riske winning their first encounter at the 2013 US Open.
Earlier, the top-seeded Barty beat Petra Martic, 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-3 advancing to her sixth semifinal of the season.
Reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka battled past Elena Rybakina, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, on the strength of three service breaks. The ninth-seeded Sabalenka set up a semifinal rematch with Barty.
A year ago, Sabalenka stopped Barty 7-6(2), 6-4 to reach the Wuhan final where she defeated Anett Kontaveit in straight sets to take the title.