Source: Radio New Zealand
Elina Svitolina serves during the ASB Classic final. Alan Lee/Photosport
Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina has won the 2026 ASB Classic women’s tournament in Auckland.
The 31-year-old proved too good for China’s Xinyu Wang, winning in straight sets 6-3 7-6 in an hour and 43 minutes.
Despite the scoreline, the contest was far from easy for Svitolina, who entered the match as the top seed and heavy favourite, after winning 18 of the 22 previous WTA Tour finals she had played in.
Svitlolina also beat Wang in their only previous meeting on tour at Wimbledon in 2024.
An even battle for much of the first set saw both players holding serve, until Svitolina managed to break Wang to move 4-2 up.
She then held her nerve to win the first set 6-3 in 32 minutes. Breakpoints proved elusive, with each player earning just one opportunity each.
The second set was just as tight, with both rivals holding serve all the way to a tiebreaker.
Wang, who was playing in just her second career singles final, started the tiebreak superbly to claim a 3-0 lead, before Svitolina came roaring back to win the next four points.
Wang, 24, showed plenty of composure though, to save a matchpoint and lock the scores up at 6-6.
Svitolina quickly created another and this time, she served it out to win the tiebreaker 8-6.
All eyes now turn to the men’s tournament, which starts on Monday, with veteran Frenchman Gael Monfils – Svitolina’s husband – the defending champion.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
