RIYADH: World number one Aryna Sabalenka saved three set points in the second set to secure her spot in the semi-finals at the WTA Finals after defeating fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 7-5 on Monday.

With the win, Sabalenka improved to 2-0 in the Purple Group and, combined with Zheng Qinwen’s victory over Elena Rybakina earlier in the day, ensured her finish as the group winner.

A champion at three of her past four tournaments, Sabalenka moves within one round-robin win of securing the year-end world number one ranking for the first time.

Sabalenka will face Rybakina on Wednesday in the final group match of the week, where a 3-0 record would seal the top spot.

Sabalenka overpowered Paolini early, building an insurmountable 4-0 lead to take the first set in 36 minutes, finishing the opening frame with a lighting forehand for her seventh winner of the match.

The reigning Australian Open and US Open champion looked poised to ease through the straight set after building a 4-2 lead in the second set, but Paolini worked her way back.

Playing physical defense from the baseline, Paolini ramped up the rally pressure and Sabalenka blinked. With Sabalenka rattled and leaking errors, Paolini broke to level the set and earned two set points on Sabalenka’s serve.

But Sabalenka stood tall, wiping away both chances to hold serve and then running off the final two ga­m­es to close out the win.

Earlier, China’s Zheng beat a struggling Rybakina 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-1 in a gruelling match, notching her first career win over the Kazakh in their third meeting.

Seventh seed Zheng bounced back from her initial round-robin loss to Sabalenka to become the second Chinese player, after Li Na, to claim a victory at the Finals, since the tournament’s inception in 1972.

The win puts seventh seed Zheng in contention for a semi-final spot when she plays Paolini on Wednesday, while the 25-year-old Kazakh is now 0-2.

Zheng started strong, taking an early edge in the tiebreak. Rybakina rallied in the second set, using her serve to fend off break points and later securing a break of her own to level the match.

In the decisive set, Zheng punished a string of fatigued forehands from the Kazakh, sealing her victory after a break in the sixth game.

SWIATEK, GAUFF MAKE WINNING STARTS

On Sunday, Iga Swi­atek and Coco Gauff enjoyed winning starts in the Orange Group, albeit in contrasting fashion.

Polish second seed Swiatek began her title defence with an almi­ghty comeback, rallying back from a set and a double-break down to overcome eighth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in two hours and 33 minutes.

Swiatek lost in the US Open quarter-finals in September and was leapfrogged in the world rankings by Sabalenka after she skipped the WTA Tour’s Asian swing due to fatigue.

The 23-year-old, who is looking to reclaim top spot in the Saudi Arabian capital, dropped her serve early and was unable to gain a foothold as Wimbledon champion Krejcikova ran away with the first set.

Krejcikova broke twice in the second set after two double faults by an increasingly off colour Swiatek, whose fans at the King Saud University Indoor Arena sensed a big upset and looked to lift the French Open champion.

Swiatek came out swinging from 3-0 down and moved ahead for the first time with a thumping backhand winner, before levelling the match at one set apiece.

She held to love for a 5-0 lead in the decider as Krejcikova struggled with a lower back problem, and withstood a late charge to close out victory.

Third-ranked American Gauff had a more straightforward evening, completing a 6-3, 6-2 win over her compatriot and US Open finalist Jessica Pegula.

Gauff held a 16-8 edge in winners and converted five of her eight break points to end the match in 75 minutes.—

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2024