Sabalenka Extends Unbeaten Record Against Zheng at WTA Finals Opener

Aryna Sabalenka, who was the runner-up to Caroline Garcia at the 2022 WTA Finals, maintained her strong record against Zheng Qinwen, securing a victory in the opening match of this season’s WTA Finals. The newly crowned world number one, Sabalenka, defeated the Chinese seventh seed by scores of 6-3, 6-4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Sabalenka has emerged victorious in all five of her encounters with Zheng, with four of those wins occurring this year, prompting Chinese supporters to refer to the Belarusian player as “the mountain that Zheng is yet to overcome”. Her victories over Zheng include the Australian Open final in January, and she also claimed her third Grand Slam singles title at the US Open in September. The WTA Finals title remains elusive for Sabalenka, a championship she stated on Saturday was “one of my dreams”. The 26-year-old commented, “It would mean everything to me. I really worked hard the past years since the very beginning of my career,” adding, “I really hope I’ll be able to hold this beautiful trophy one day.” In the Purple Group’s second match on Saturday, Jasmine Paolini defeated Elena Rybakina with a score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. The Orange Group’s round-robin contests, featuring Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Barbora Krejcikova, are scheduled to commence on Sunday. This year marks the first time the tournament is hosted in Saudi Arabia, a decision that has drawn criticism from some due to concerns regarding the nation’s human rights record. Sabalenka is considered the strong favourite for the championship, having ascended to the top of the world rankings in October, displacing Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka has secured four titles this year, including the Wuhan Open last month, where she defeated Zheng in the final. Zheng, however, has also experienced a successful year, highlighted by her Olympic gold medal victory on the Paris clay in July. The two players displayed an even contest early on, until Sabalenka, known as the most powerful hitter in women’s tennis, seized an opportunity to break serve for a 4-2 lead, subsequently serving out the set. Zheng maintained parity with her adversary in the second set, but a subpar service game, concluded by a double fault, presented Sabalenka with two break points at 4-4. The initial break point attempt went long, after which Sabalenka executed a characteristic forehand winner to secure the break and ultimately serve for the match. Sabalenka committed her sole double fault on match point, yet she clinched the win on the subsequent point – a swift turnaround that left Zheng, positioned near the towel box, unaware the match had concluded until Sabalenka advanced to the net. Neymar, a player in the Saudi Pro League, participated in the pre-match coin toss. Similar to Sabalenka, Rybakina began her season strongly, reaching five finals within the initial four months. However, her season has been interrupted by health issues and physical setbacks, leading the former Wimbledon champion to arrive in Riyadh after a two-month absence from competitive play. In contrast, Italy’s Paolini has shown increasing strength over the year, securing a WTA 1,000 title in Dubai in February, followed by consecutive Grand Slam final appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon. Paolini’s superior match fitness proved decisive against the Kazakh Rybakina, who accumulated 56 unforced errors and appeared to tire as the contest progressed. The players exchanged service breaks in the opening set, with Paolini ultimately winning a tie-break marked by numerous errors after 64 minutes. Rybakina often found herself defending in the second set, successfully fending off two break points in the initial game before Paolini finally secured a break to take a 4-3 lead and subsequently served to close out the match. “I’m glad that was done in two sets,” Paolini humorously remarked following the match. Paolini is also participating in the doubles competition, partnering with Sara Errani, with whom she secured a gold medal for Italy at the Olympics. The tournament this year features record prize money, with the singles champion anticipated to receive approximately £4m.