Rybakina ends Swiatek's Stuttgart reign and will face Kostyuk in final

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Elena Rybakina defeated top-ranked Iga Świątek 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the Porsche Grand Prix final and end Swiatek’s hopes of a third consecutive title on Saturday.

Rybakina, the world No. 4, hit 10 aces and saved 11 of the 13 break points she faced to win the first semifinal at the clay-court tournament in 2 hours, 49 minutes.

It’s Rybakina fourth win in six meetings with Świątek. The Pole was bidding to become the first three-time champion in Stuttgart since Maria Sharapova from 2012-14.

Rybakina will play Marta Kostyuk in Sunday’s final after the 27th-ranked Ukrainian defeated Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (2), 6-2 in the other semifinal.

It will be Rybakina’s fifth final of the season. She won titles in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi.

Swiatek was under constant pressure on serve from Rybakina. She faced 20 break points and lost four of them. Seven double faults and 42 unforced errors didn't help.

“Since we played with Iga many times, more or less I try to predict where she's going to (serve), and (I'm) really happy with the return and overall with the game,” Rybakina said.

Kostyuk has surprised herself with her run to the final, including three consecutive wins over top-10 players Zheng Qinwen, Coco Gauff and Vondrousova. Kostyuk saved match points against Zheng and Gauff.

“I came here on Saturday and I practiced four days before my first match, and really I was playing worse and worse with every day,” Kostyuk said. “I was like, ‘OK, time to play some matches because I don’t want to practice anymore.'”

Kostyuk will appear in her third final. She won her maiden title in Austin last year, and was runner-up in San Diego last month.

She and Rybakina are 1-1 in career matchups.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk returns the ball against Czech Republic's Vondrousova during their semifinal match of the WTA Tour against, in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday April 20, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Marketa Vondrousova hits a return during a semifinal match against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk at the Porsche Grand Prix tennis tournament, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Stuttgart, Germany. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk hits a return during a semifinal match against Marketa Vondrousova at the Porsche Grand Prix tennis tournament, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Stuttgart, Germany. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in action during the women's singles semifinal match against Poland's Iga Swiatek at the WTA Tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday April 20, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in action during the women's singles semifinal match against Poland's Iga Swiatek at the WTA Tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday April 20, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Poland's Iga Swiatek in action during the women's singles semifinal match against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina at the WTA Tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday April 20, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Poland's Iga Swiatek in action during the women's singles semifinal match against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina at the WTA Tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday April 20, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Poland's Iga Swiatek in action during the women's singles semifinal match against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina at the WTA Tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday April 20, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina sits in her chair between games during the women's singles semifinal match against Poland's Iga Swiatek at the WTA Tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday April 20, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina during the women's singles semifinal match against Poland's Iga Swiatek at the WTA Tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday April 20, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Poland's Iga Swiatek during the women's singles semifinal match against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina at the WTA Tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday April 20, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

A look at the coaches who have led teams with LeBron James on the roster. The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday:

—Paul Silas (2003-05): He was James' first coach in the 2003-04 season and helped the first-year player win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. But Silas was let go 64 games into the 2005 season with the Cavaliers at 34-30.

—Brendan Malone (2005): He became interim coach after Silas was dismissed and went 8-10 with the team to miss out on the NBA playoffs.

—Mike Brown (2005-10): He led the Cavaliers to the playoffs in all five seasons with James on the roster, making it to the NBA Finals in their second season together in 2006-07. James was named NBA MVP in his final two seasons with Brown as coach. Brown was let go before James' pending free agency in the summer of 2010.

—Erik Spoelstra (2010-14): He led the Heat to the NBA Finals all four seasons coaching James, winning it all in 2012 and 2013. James won NBA MVP in both those seasons.

—David Blatt (2014-16): Blatt coached James in his return to Cleveland, losing in the NBA Finals to Golden State. Blatt was fired the next season with the team at 30-11. Then-GM David Griffin said at the time: “What I see is that we need to build a collective spirit, a strength of spirit, a collective will.”

—Tyronn Lue (2016-18): Lue was promoted to take over for Blatt, and he led the Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA title over the Warriors. Lue and James made two more trips to the Finals before James opted for free agency and ended his second term with Cleveland.

—Luke Walton (2018-19): James was slowed by injuries and the Lakers missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2004-05 season at 37-45. Walton and the Lakers mutually agreed to part ways after the season.

—Frank Vogel (2019-22): Vogel and James had the Lakers at 49-14 and on top in the Western Conference before COVID-19 shut down the league. When games restarted, Los Angeles won the NBA championship. The team could not duplicate its success in Vogel's final two years, advancing as a play-in team in 2021 and missing the playoffs in 2022. Vogel was fired after that season.

—Darvin Ham (2022-24): Ham and the Lakers started slowly in the first of two seasons together, before rallying as a seventh seed in the playoffs to reach the Western Conference finals. This past season, Los Angeles was knocked out in the opening round by defending champion Denver. The team announced Ham's firing Friday. “While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season,” GM Rob Pelinka said in a statement.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, left, argues for a call with referee Kevin Scott, front right, in the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts as time runs out in the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Monday, April 29, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)