In a rematch from this year’s Stuttgart Open quarter-finals, Linda Noskova and Elina Svitolina square off in the WTA Finals semis on Saturday.

Both ladies finished the group stage at 2-1, with the Czech losing her last match to Jessica Pegula 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 5-7, and Svitolina ousting Aryna Sabalenka on Friday 6-3 3-6 6-1.

Match preview

The group phase did not end the way she had envisioned, but Linda Noskova will hope to shake off her surprise defeat from Thursday as she enters the knockout stage of this tournament for the first time.

After losing the opening set to Pegula, it appeared as though the tide was turning in the Czech’s favour, but the reigning Wimbledon champion failed to covert her match point, losing three straight games in the final set, which sent her to defeat.

She is the youngest player to reach the semi-finals of this tournament since Petra Kvitova in 2011, and Noskova will hope to follow in that same path as the former Czech player went on to win that edition of the WTA Finals in what was her debut.

If Noskova wants to advance, she must be cleaner on serve, registering 15 double faults versus Pegula, six more than she committed in her first two matches at this event.

In her three group contests, the 21-year-old converted 14 break-point opportunities overall while conceding eight.

She has hit a total of 20 aces at the tournament so far and won over 60% of her first serves in all three of her matches.

In a roller coaster three-set outing on Friday afternoon, Svitolina came out on top, winning six straight games in the end.

It was her first win against Sabalenka in six years as the Ukrainian earned a berth in the semis-finals of this event for the first time since 2019.

For a while it looked like Svitolina was going to throw it away, failing to convert four match points before finally claiming victory.

As a result, she has a chance to advance to the final of this tournament for a third time in her last three appearances.

Not since the 2017 WTA Finals group stage has she lost a match in this tournament when winning the opening set.

Svitolina has converted 11 break point opportunities in her last two outings after failing to convert six chances in her opener.

Tournament so far

Linda Noskova:

First match: vs. Marta Kostyuk 6-2 6-4

Second match: vs. Coco Gauff 6-3 6-3

Third match: vs. Jessica Pegula 6-7 (7-2) 6-4 5-7

Elina Svitolina:

First match: vs. Mirra Andreeva 4-6 0-6

Second match: vs. Karolina Muchova 3-6 6-2 6-2

Third match: vs. Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 3-6 6-1

Head To Head

Australian Open (2024) - Round of 16: Noskova wins 3-0 walkover

Monterrey Open (2024) - Quarter-finals: Noskova wins 6-4 6-4 

Stuttgart Open (2026) - Quarter-finals: Svitolina

The first meeting between these two occurred at the Aussie Open two years ago, when Svitolina was forced to retire with a severe back injury.

Later that year in Mexico, Noskova won 91% of her first serves, with two break points to take the win.

Svitolina earned her first win against Noskova in Germany this year, hitting 11 aces without a single double fault.

We say: Noskova to win in two sets

Svitolina has played a lot of tennis in a short time, and at her age, we do not believe she will have the energy to outlast Noskova this weekend.