The WTA Finals is in full swing and, believe it or not, we are already approaching the final round of round-robin matches in Riyadh.
Group Serena Williams will be the first group to come to a close on Wednesday, with the unbeaten Elena Rybakina set to take on Madison Keys, before 2023 WTA Finals champion Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova do battle.
Here, we look at the qualification scenario set to unfold inside the King Saud University Indoor Arena — with two players fighting for their place in the knockout stage.
What do we know?
In Group Serena Williams, two things are currently certain.
One is that, having beaten both Anisimova and Swiatek in Riyadh, Rybakina is through the knockout stage — and is guaranteed to finish as the group winner.
Should she beat Keys, her perfect nine points from nine will see her win the group comfortably, while she will still edge either Anisimova and Swiatek on tournament head-to-head if she finishes on six points.
What we also know is that, regardless of how she fares against Rybakina, Keys cannot progress and is officially out.
The American would hold three points should she triumph, but with Rybakina already on six points and one of Anisimova and Swiatek set to hold six points, there is no mathematical way for her to qualify.
However, individual prize money and ranking points are attached to each match, meaning there is still something for her and her Kazakh opponent to play for — assuming she does not pull out due to illness.
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All that means there will be a straight shootout between Swiatek and Anisimova on Wednesday.
Who will qualify?
With both women on one win and one loss so far, the equation for these two is quite simple.
They will enter the court knowing that whoever wins will finish second in the group and qualify for the semi-final, while the loser will join Keys in exiting the tournament.
As mentioned, defeats to Rybakina mean they cannot finish above the Kazakh, meaning that second place is guaranteed for the winner of this match.
It will be the third meeting between the two in the space of four months, and all of those matches have been of extreme importance.
Swiatek memorably double-bagelled Anisimova in the Wimbledon final in July, before the American earned revenge with victory in the quarter-final of the US Open in September.
WTA Finals Order of Play (Wednesday, November 5)
n/b 14:00 (local time): (6) Elena Rybakina vs (7) Madison Keys
Followed by: (2) Iga Swiatek vs (4) Amanda Anisimova
Group Serena Williams standings
1) Elena Rybakina – 6 points (2-0)
2) Iga Swiatek – 3 points (1-1)
3) Amanda Anisimova – 3 points (1-1)
4) Madison Keys – 0 points (0-2)
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