Sevastova slips by Strycova, reaches final four in Zhuhai
ZHUHAI, China - Anastasija Sevastova sealed her place in the semifinals at the Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai on Thursday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Barbora Strycova, topping the Camellia Group with a 2-0 record.
Like Ashleigh Barty before her in the Rose Group, the Latvian posted a perfect record in group play to advance to the knockout stage on her tournament debut.
She was a combined 0-3 in her career against Sloane Stephens and Strycova, her two opponents in the group stage, but did not drop a set in coming out victorious.
She avenged a US Open quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Stephens in her opening match, and got the better of Strycova for the first time in three meetings in her second - the first match between the two in five years.
Sevastova came from 2-0 down in the opening set, winning 20 of the next 24 points and five straight games en route to taking a one-set lead, and later used a decisive late break in the seventh game of the second set to earn victory.
A calm and composed Sevastova ousts Strycova 6-3, 6-4 #WTAEliteTrophy! pic.twitter.com/bfiABik8jb
— WTA (@WTA) November 2, 2017
More to come...