Iga Swiatek holds nerve against Liudmila Samsonova to make fourth successive final with win in Stuttgart

Iga Swiatek beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-7(4) 6-4 7-5 to progress to the final of the Stuttgart Open. She will face big-hitting Aryna Sabalenka in the showpiece after the world No. 4 beat Paula Badosa 7-6 6-4 in the earlier last-four encounter.

Ad/> The Polish world No. 1 raced into a three-game lead on the back of some astonishing — but at the same time expected — powerful baseline hitting. WTA StuttgartSwiatek powers past Raducanu to make semi-finalsA DAY AGO However, Samsonova — a big-hitter herself — maintained her composure, did not overplay and won three games in a row to bring the set back to parity at 4-4.

The eighth game epitomised a showing of composure, poise and shot-creation that underpinned her fightback as she came back from 0-40 down and defended four break points. World No. 31 Samsonova had wrestled the initiative from Swiatek but let the Polish star off the hook somewhat in the 11th game of the set, failing to convert a break opportunity after a couple of loose shots from the No.

1 seed. The rest of the set would go with serve, meaning it would be settled by a tie-break. Clean ball-striking saw Samsonova establish control of the tie-break, and the 23-year-old would become the first player to win a set against Swiatek since Angelique Kerber at the last-16 stage of Indian Wells — in doing so, she brought a run of 28 sets won in a row to an end for the world No.

1. The second set became an even more physical endeavour, with the first eight games going with serve. However, Swiatek was working her opponent hard, forcing Samsonova to play roughly double the amount of points on her first serve.