Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka won the opening match of the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia, defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-4. The Belarusian athlete is having an amazing 2024 season, having won 21 of her last 22 games.
Both athletes, who are in the tournament’s Purple Group, have recently shown exceptional form. Sabalenka has won the Cincinnati Open, the US Open, and has a victory in Wuhan against the same opponent. Zheng is a gold medallist from the Paris Olympics. She has also won at the Tokyo Open.
Highlights of the match
While the first set was tied at 3-2, Sabalenka took advantage of a double fault by Zheng to break her opponent.
Sabalenka broke her opponent for the second time in the match after holding her service to end the first set with a score of 6-3. The second set then ended with a score of 4-4.
Following her victory, Sabalenka must now win her next two group matches to ensure that she keeps her top ranking. If she fails to do so, who will win the top spot will depend on the performance of Iga Swiatek. Swiatek needs to win the title to have a chance of reclaiming the top slot.
Sabalenka said: “I’m super happy with the win, especially against Qinwen. It’s always tough matches, tough battles against her, and I’m really, I’m really glad I was able to finish this match in straight sets.”
The athlete will now battle against Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina for her next matches.
Source: Eurosport