Iga Swiatek v Amanda Anisimova result - WTA Finals sees American world No. 4 beat Swiatek in three sets to make semi-finals in Riyadh

Amanda Anisimova started this tournament in abject fashion, losing in under an hour to Elena Rybakina. But she fought her way to the win against Madison Keys on Monday, and then played lights-out tennis to defeat Iga Swiatek in three sets on Wednesday.

Anisimova has more than made up for that Wimbledon final, where she lost to Swiatek 0-6 0-6. She beat the Polish star at the US Open and again today, to make the semi-finals of the WTA Finals for the first time.

Swiatek took a tight opening set 7-3 in the tie-break, with no breaks of serve in the set and plenty of winners littering an entertaining, high-quality encounter.

The second set proved every bit as tight, with Anisimova breaking Swiatek for the first time right at the end of the set to force the decider.

Despite a few moments where she looked to her coach in frustration, Anisimova stuck to her game plan of hitting big, and going for everything. And she was making far more than she was missing.

It was high-risk tennis, but it was a strategy that was taking time away from Swiatek, and frustrating the Pole.

The American world No. 4 was on top from the start in the deciding set, breaking a frustrated Swiatek much earlier and then breaking again to seal the match in two hours and 36 minutes.

She moves on to take her place in the semi-finals in Riyadh, and will find out her opponent tomorrow when the round-robin stage concludes.

Swiatek is again serving to stay in the match.

And it is a tight, nervy game. But at 30-30, Swiatek gets Anisimova on the run, coming to the net to pressure her opponent and monitoring a ball that ends up wide.

But Anisimova is not done here, and the game goes to deuce.

And that is a huge, huge return winner into the corner.

Match point...

And she hits another return winner!

The American is two holds away.

But she is also down to 0-30, as Swiatek looks calm, focused and ready to go down swinging.

The Polish player goes for too much on the next shot and some big, accurate serves gets them to 30-30.

Swiatek has a break back point, but can do nothing as Anisimova serves big and dispatches the short return with ease.

She does likewise at deuce, and holds. And fist bumps. She is a game away from the semi-finals.

A must hold now for Swiatek.

And she races to 30-0 with two big winners.

Anisimova goes for too much on the return to take it to 40-0.

And that's that for the game - Swiatek keeps the set to just the one break.

Can the world No. 2 respond? A huge return winner says yes.

But then comes and ace and an unreturnable serve.

Anisimova just looks so cool and composed compared to her demeanour at the start of the second set.

She holds to 15, for a 4-1 lead in the decider.

0-30. Again.

Anisimova is definitely the player to watch right now.

What a shot! A huge, huge cross-court return winner. Swiatek did not even move.

0-40, and Swiatek finds the line with a forehand.

She saves the next one too, but cannot save the third. Why? Because of a double fault. What a way to cough up the break.

A quick hold, and a good hold.

How crucial will serving first be in this third set?

Anisimova is making more than she is missing right now, and she has her nose in front.

Oh.

Anisimova is all over Swiatek here, big, clean hitting and the Polish player has no answer as she grasps her cap and pushes it further down over her eyes.

15-40, two break points...

Swiatek saves the first one, and then hits a beautiful ace down the line on the second.

But Anisimova gets a third... And again it is saved. This game feels crucial.

And the American goes long! Swiatek holds, saving three break points along the way.

Much like the match against Keys, once Anisimova gets going, she really does play some great tennis.

She holds to start the third set off.

But what sort of response will we see from Swiatek?

She took the opener against Rybakina, and then fell away after losing the second set...

The clock reads one hour and 59 minutes, as Swiatek walks off court for some respite.

The winners have been constant, 13 from Anisimova, seven from Swiatek.

The match has had one break, and it was a crucial one as it decided the second set and ensured there is a third one.

Swiatek is serving to stay in the second set.

At 15-15, Anisimova hits harder and harder, and starts to come in, forcing the error. 15-30.

But Swiatek does not let that ruffle her, and gets to 30-30.

The Anisimova goes just wide, for 40-30.

And then she hits a peach of a return winner for deuce. The momentum shifts here are minute, but they are measurable.

But Anisimova is playing Swiatek, a multiple Grand Slam champion. And Swiatek is not giving this up without a fight.

The Pole ends up down on one knee as she goes long, getting back to deuce. And the same again!

Set point... And Swiatek finds the net!

We are going to a decider!

Anisimova remains focused at the moment, as she races to 40-15 on serve. But then Swiatek's return comes close to the line and that gets her on top in the point, the American eventually caught flat-footed and finding the net.

But at 40-30, Anisimova puts in a big first serve and dispatches the short return.

She is a game away in the second set.

Swiatek might be serving second in this set, but she does not appear to be feeling the pressure. She won the WTA Finals two years ago, last year going out in the group stage despite recording two wins.

This year the calculation is easier - whoever wins this match is through along with Rybakina.

And as the match heads towards the two-hour mark, it is still hard to call as Swiatek holds yet again.

No breaks in the match. Yet.

Swiatek famously beat Anisimova 6-0 6-0 in the Wimbledon final. The American got her revenge, winning 6-4 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the US Open.

But this one is tighter.

30-0 on the Anisimova serve becomes 30-30, until the American unleashes yet another booming forehand.

She holds.

Swiatek is serving from behind in this set, which does add some pressure.

And this is better from Anisimova, who seems to have moved on from her slight frustrations from the last few games. She suddenly seems focused out there.

But at 30-30, Swiatek does what she does best, hits a clean forehand winner to the corner that gave her opponent no chance.

The next backhand hits the tape and bounces out though, and we go to deuce.

But Swiatek holds. Just. It is tight out there.

Still, Anisimova looks disgruntled out there, as she double faults to give Swiatek half a chance at 30-30.

But then comes some more huge, huge hitting. The American really is not going to leave anything out there today.

She holds to 30, and on we go, on serve in the second.

Swiatek holds comfortably, putting the pressure straight back onto her opponent.

And that pressure might be telling - Anisimova turning and letting out a stream of frustration towards her coach...

Swiatek gets two break points here. Anisimova continues much as she has done, with some huge hitting that eventually forces the error.

And Swiatek misses at 30-40! That was an opportunity.

Huge, huge return from the Polish star. She immediately atones for that miss.

But a big serve from Anisimova gets us back to deuce, backed up by a great cross-court backhand.

She saves three break points to hold. What a game that might end up being. The highest quality hitting from both.

Swiatek flies to 40-0, but then Anisimova lands a huge return.

But then the Polish player pounces on a short return, to take the game.

Up and running in the second set.

So, Anisimova gets things underway in the second set. Will she change her all-out, go for everything approach here?

No, she is still going for everything. Well, this approach has taken her to two Grand Slam finals this season and won her two 1000 titles to boot.

She takes the opening game to 30.