‘A perfect ending’ – Martina Navratilova on 50-50 semi-final between ‘Amazon’ Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek

Martina Navratilova has called the delayed WTA World Tour semi-final between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek “a 50-50”, in what she feels is “a perfect ending” to the season.

“If you think about it, it’s unbelievable; a perfect ending, except for the fact it’s the semi-finals, instead of the finals,” Navratilova said.

“Bottom line, who can handle the pressure better with so much riding on it? Aryna was an Amazon (an Ancient Greek female warrior) for two days, so I think it’s 50-50.

“When Sabalenka’s ball comes in fast, the wind makes it easier to handle. Overall, the wind favours Swiatek. With her spin, she’s able to navigate those gusts. There’s much less that can go wrong with her game.

“For me, a massive thing is who is No. 1 at the end of the year.

“Then, who wins this. It’s the biggest tournament of our tour. So any time you can put that into your trophy case, you’re doing pretty well. Now you get a trophy for being No. 1 at the end of the year.”

On the qualified finalist and her compatriot Pegula, Navratilova said: “I think this court and the conditions suit the short, compact strokes we see from Pegula. Very little goes wrong, and she moves well. She dominated the toughest of the two groups.”