PORMAL na nakuha ni Top seed Elina Svitolina ang huling bangkuan sa finals ng 2026 ASB Classic matapos talunin si Iva Jovic ng United States 7-6, 6-2 sa kanilang semifinal match sa Manuka Doctor, Auckland, New Zealand.
Ito ang ikalawang ulit na pumasok sa finals ng ASB Classic ang Ukrainian number 1 seed matapos siyang mabigo sa three-sets laban kay Coco Gauff noong 2024.
“It’s nice to get a straight sets win, yesterday was a big battle,” masayang pahayag ni Svitolina pagkatapos ng kanyang two-sets victory.
“In the first set Iva was playing really well and I had to really fight back and dig deep and try to find my level, and I’m very happy I could finish this match in two sets to save some energy for the final.”
Dahil sa panalong ito ni Svitolina ay makakaharap niya sa finals ang chinese tennis player na si Wang Xinyu na nagwagi kay Alexandra Eala sa three-set battle sa unang semifinal match, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.
Tumataginting na karagdagang $ 9.974 ang napanalunan ni Svitolina sa larong ito at umabot na sa kabuuang $22, 125 ang kanyang naibulsa at posible pa itong umabot sa $37,390 sakali at magwagi siya sa finals kontra kay Wang kung saan nakataya ang premyong $15, 265.
Si Wang na nanood ng laro nina Jovic at Svitolina habang hinihintay kung sino ang kanyang makakaharap sa finals ay halos hindi pa rin makapaniwala na nakuha niya ang panalo sa kanyang itinuring na isang mabigat na laban kontra pinay tennis star eala.
“That was a crazy battle from the start to the end,” wika ni Wang . “Alex, she is such a fighter. I felt the pressure even when 5-1 up.”
“When she started playing unbelievable, there was nothing much I could do other than just clap for her good shots,” dagdag pa niya.“When we started the second set, I told myself it’s a fresh start. No matter how she was playing at the end of the first set, we’re going to start over now and I’m going to try to take every game, every point and every shot.”
“Coming into this week, I never thought about making it to the final. I was just like, OK, let’s enjoy this first match, it’s the first week of the year. Then everything has been amazing. I’ve been having tough battles, and I’m really happy to get there.”
“Really happy that I got through this one today and through to my first-ever final.”
Una nang nakapaglaro si Wang sa Isang WTA final at nabigo laban kay Marketa Vondrousa ng Czechoslovakia sa Berlin noong Hunyo ng nakalipas na taon at nagkaroon ng dalawang ulit na pagsabak sa Auckland at nabigo sa kababayan dalawang taon na ang nakalilipas.