Elena Rybakina produced a storming comeback to beat Iga Swiatek and edge closer to the last four at the WTA Finals in Riyadh,Kazakhstan’s Rybakina lost the first set after a single break in 36 minutes, but turned the match on its head in the second and went on to win 12 of the next 13 games,Swiatek, the world No 2, thrashed Madison Keys 6-1 6-2 in her opening Serena Williams Group round-robin clash, but was twice broken in the second set against Rybakina before failing to win a game in the decider to lose 6-3 1-6 0-6,Rybakina, who had lost each of her previous four matches against Swiatek, has now played two and won two in Riyadh following a 6-3 6-1 win over Amanda Anisimova in her tournament opener,Anisimova, the fourth seed, bounced back and also recovered from a set down against fellow American Keys to win 4-6 6-3 6-2 in their second round-robin match.

Rybakina, the world No 6, next faces Keys, while Swiatek takes on Anisimova in the group’s final matches.PA MediaRighto, that’s us done for now – we’ll be back tomorrow for Coco Gauff v Jasmine Paolini and Aryna Sabalenka v Jessica Pegula.Thanks for your company and peace out.Anisimova tells Sky that Keys was playing well but she wanted to leave having offered a fight so made some adjustments.Annoyingly, she’s not asked to detail those, but says she wasn’t happy with her attitude early doors so tried to remind herself that she’s come back before.

This year, she’s focused on the process and the day-in, day-out of the work … and that’s all she’s got for us.I’m so excited about the future of women’s tennis.We’ve got players all able to beat each other, depending on the surface and day; players still improving, with lots of headroom still to explore; and a variety of different stories to absorb us.Swiatek v Anisimova, on Wednesday, should be a belter.Two unusual but strange, entertaining matches.

Rybakina played wonderfully well in winning sets two and three against Swiatek, who wilted in surprising fashion; Anisimova didn’t look like she had a comeback in her, but she’s cemented within the elite now and the combination of a huge game and burgeoning self-belief saw her through.Big hitting from the back earns 15-0, then Keys nets – both players have done that a lot today – and it’s 30-0.Now two points away, Anisimova errs then sends down a double; 30-all, and pressure.How will she respond? Keys doesn’t mete out treatment to a weak second serve, but an error donates break point anyway … before a vicious inside-out forehand makes deuce.But tension tells, a backhand error handing over advantage … but Anisimova comes back well to restore deuce.

Then, when Keys tries a cross-court backhand which drops long, she has match point, takes control of the rally with a typical backhand … only to misread the riposte, caught halfway to net.No matter: a big serve raises a further match point, this time, Keys’ return flies wide, and somehow, Anisimova has come back from a miserable start to win from a set and 3-1 down! That’s a serious show of moxie, even if Keys, who we learn hasn’t been well and know is remodelling her serve, had a poor day.So Rybakina qualifies for the semis as group winner; Anisimova will face Swiatek to determine who joins her.Keys makes 40-15 in a game I half-expected her to tank, and though a double then gives her opponent a sniff, she closes out, forcing Anisimova to serve for the match at 4-6 6-3 5-2.I’ve been really impressed, not just with how Rybakina and Anisimova have played, but with how well they’ve steadied themselves after a poor first set.

They won’t keep getting away with starting badly, but it takes a lot to stay calm … and, as I type, Anisimova secures her hold and a 5-1 lead with a high-kicking second-serve ace.That’s excellent work, taking her a game away from an effective playoff with Swiatek.A forehand swiped long means Anisimova has 0-30, then Keys goes down the line with a further forehand … and it’s wide.Three points for a double break; three virtual match points.The first is saved, a return into the net burns the second, and a forehand winner, inside out and close to the corner, makes deuce; that’s excellent work.

But Anisimova soon has advantage, then Keys impatiently flaps a backhand long, and at 4-1 in the third, this feels over.Gosh, Anisimova is feeling herself; it’s so bizarre how quickly things turn around, until you remember that human beings are so bizarre.Anisimova makes 40-0 with a nicely disguised drop, holds to 15, and leads 3-1 in the third.Keys is running out of road.Keys must hold here, you’d think, and she makes 40-0 in short order, three returns failing to land in court.

And, when a fourth is zetzed wide, she’s on the board in set three, halting her run of seven straight games lost.Anisimova leads 2-1 in the decider, with a break.Anisimova is confident now, a rare serve-volley point giving her 30-0.Keys then lamps a forehand long, and though an error from her opponent gives her the merest sniff, a further overhit forehand means Anisimova leads 2-0 in the third, her break endorsed.Down 0-30, Keys delivers a sorely needed ace, then a forehand return to a high kicker, smashes cross, zips just wide.

But Anisimova’s returns are asking questions now, the latest one inciting a netted forehand, and when Keys overhits, she has a break in the third having won six games on the spin.Down 0-15, Anisimova nails a service winner and she’s the better player now, a further service winner taking her to within two points of a decider.Keys, though, monsters a forehand return for 30-all … only to net shortly afterwards; set point Anisimova, converted when a return hits the net.From a set and a break down, she’s fought back to earn a decider.A forehand cross, on to the line, earns Anisimova, down 4-6 4-3, 15-all, then a double donates 15-30.

She can’t capitalise immediately, making a mess of a backhand return, but another error from Keys means break point, and when a second serve to the backhand gets the treatment, a cleanup forehand secures the break! At 4-6 5-3, Anisimova will now serve for the second set.Is Anisimova growing in confidence? She makes 30-0, then Keys whips a backhand winner down the line – is the standard of this match increasing? – eventually holding to 15.Gosh, at 15-0, Keys delivers one of the worst second serves I’ve ever seen, the ball barely reaching the net while, in comms, they note she’s not beaten a top-10 player since doing Sabalenka to win that Aussie Open.And she’s struggling here, a pair of doubles leaving her down 30-40 … so she finds a backhand winner down the line for deuce.Anisimova, though, spanks a forehand down the line to make advantage, and when Keys goes long, we’re back level in set two!Better from Anisimova, a booming forehand allowing a swing-volley, dispatched with prejudice for 40-15, and from there, she closes out to keep the match alive at 4-6 2-3.

But can she put the Keys serve under pressure?Another forehand error from Anisimova – at least this one is long, not netted – means Keys is up 40-0, and a backhand return, lashed way long in response to an Edberg-style kick-serve, seals a comfortable hold.Keys leads 6-4 3-1 and there’s no sense a comeback is imminent.At 30-0, Keys cracks a decent forehand return that brings her into the game but Anismova is playing a better game, a big forehand then a big serve securing her hold.She’s into the second set but trails 4-6 1-2.Anisimova makes 0-15, only to net another backhand; she looks pained out there, and also exhausted.

We move to 40-30, Keys closes out, and the consolidation puts her in almost total control of this match at 6-4 2-0,Keys makes 0-15 but then nets a forehand; no matter,Anisimova lets out a pained squeal when an error donates 15-30, before a forehand skips wide and she hangs head in resignation,She does, though save the first break point, only to net a backhand, swinging at it from too far from the ball; I’ve not seen her play this poorly for a while, and she trails 4-6 0-1,Anisimova, really struggling – as she did against Rybakina – swats a forehand return wide for 15-0 then, at 30-15, tamely nets an overhand backhand return.

A service winner follows, and Keys takes a low-quality first set 6-4.My system crashes, returning in time for me to see that Keys has two break points at 15-40; she only needs one, and Anisimova is struggling now.At 5-4, the Aussie Open champ will shortly serve for the first set – a good test for her new action.Keys makes 30-15 then a rarity: a backhand error from Anisimova who, generally speaking, hands over points with errors on the opposite wing.But another, into the net, takes us to 4-4 and this match is not of the highest standard.

Anisimova is serving well now, a love hold making 4-3, but it’s also fair to note that Keys’ returning wasn’t great in that game.Both players have another couple of levels to reach.Now it’s Keys with the hold and we’re level at 3-2.These two are really well matched, but I fancy Anisimova to get it done because she’s the more comfortable in her game, while her big backhand is more reliable than Oor Maddie’s fore.Up 40-0, Anisimova sends down a double, but a netted return gives her the first hold of the match and a 3-2 lead.

Can Keys – and her new service-action – respond? I guess she’s had her injury issues, so as she nears her dotage it makes sense to limit stress on the body, but to change something so significant at her age is going to cause issues.Anisimova makes 15-30, larrups a forehand towards the sideline … and just over it.But a terrific return then clips the back edge of the whitewash so at 30-40 we again have break-back point, Keys tries a kick-serve, and it’s sent back with extreme prejudice, that mortally threatening backhand doing more than enough to level us up at 2-2.Gosh, neither player is quite at it yet, Keys making 0-30 before nailing a decent return on to the line; Anismova, though, responds superbly, an even better shot with that backhand of hers reducing her arrears before an inside-out forehand, also on to the paint, levels the game.Keys, though, then steps into a forehand winner to raise break point, a further violent forehand forces the error, and that’s a third break in three games.

The Aussie Open champ leads 2-1.Though Anisimova’s errors were the principal reason for the break, Keys played a decent game, harnessing her power in a way she doesn’t always find easy.But she’s getting used to a new and shortened service action so it’s no great surprise to see her down 15-40, and a double hands over a break-back Anisimova had to do little to achieve.It’s 1-1 in the first.Keys makes 0-30 but is quickly hauled back, an ace levelling the game.

But a forehand into the net cedes deuce, then Anisimova dumps a further forehand … then another, and that’s the immediate break.Anisimova to serve, ready … play.If Anisimova wins, Rybakina goes through as group winner, with the American facing Swiatek to see who goes with her.If Keys wins, Anisimova is out, with the other three fighting to see which two progress.Laura Robson just said that Anisimova’s backhand is the best on tour; I’d go further and say it’s up there with the best shots, any kind, in the game, men or women.

Out come Keys and Anisimova…Rybakina was the last to qualify for this competition, which might say she’s had the least good season of all in the field, or that she arrives at it in form.It’s not often you see Swiatek beaten up like that, but I’d fancy her to rebound when she plays Anisimova in her final group match.So Rybakina is 2-0, Swiatek 1-1; coming up next, we’ve got Anisimova v Keys, both of them 0-1.