By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, October 17, 2026
Photo credit: Screen Shot
Known as River City, Wuhan was the shock center today.
In an all-Polish clash, Maja Chwalinska saved two set points then tore through 10 of the last 11 games stunning Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 to soar into her maiden WTA 1000 final at the Wuhan Open.
The first all-Polish, Tour-level semifinal in the Open Era saw four-time French Open champion Swiatek serve for a one-set lead at 5-3, 40-15.
Then French Open finalist Chwalinska dialed in her drives to completely flip the script.
Former No. 1 Swiatek had a heavy hand in her own demise. Swiatek scrawled 33 unforced errors across the hard court—26 more than her compatriot—and clanked four double faults. In contrast, Chwalinska was willing to string shots together and play more patient point construction.
The long-time friends, who faced off for the first time since they were 15-year-olds meeting at a $10K in Stockholm, shared an embrace and conversation at net.
Playing just her fourth WTA 1000 main draw, Chwalinska’s win caps a wild Wuhan semifinal day that saw Grand Slam champions fall.
World No. 22 Chwalinska, who made history as the first qualifier to reach the Roland Garros women’s singles final, will play for a maiden Tour-level title against 170th-ranked Sonay Kartal.
Deep deficits didn’t deter Kartal—they only intensified her defiance.
Kartal roared back from 1-4 down in both sets—and saved three set points in both sets—out-dueling Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(9), 7-6(5) in today’s opening Wuhan semifinal.
The 170th-ranked Kartal is the lowest-ranked woman to reach a WTA 1000 final since the format’s inception in 1990.
Applying her variety to offset the 2017 French Open champion’s jolting power, Kartal kept calm despite the deficits and Ostapenko’s ability to throw a shot-making storm.
“That was probably one of the toughest matches I’ve ever played,” Kartal said afterward.
“At times she is unplayable and you have to ride that wave. Mentally, this is one of the best performances of my career.”
The left-handed Chwalinska was whipping her lefty topspin forehand with ambition into the corners. Chwalinska broke at 30 to start the second set then dug in to back up the break for a 7-5, 2-0 lead.
Closure was complex for Swiatek, who opened up another 40-15 lead in the fifth game only to see Chwalinska stage another return-game rally and break again for 4-1.
Flipping a fine running forehand strike down the line, Chwalinska held for 5-1. Swiatek spun one final shot into net ending a two hour, eight-minute clash.
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