Top seed Aryna Sabalenka eases past Jasmine Paolini in WTA Finals
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Aryna Sabalenka in action during her round of 16 match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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RIYADH – Top seed Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her WTA Finals campaign with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Jasmine Paolini on Nov 2, registering her fifth straight victory over the world No. 8.
The US Open champion landed 11 aces and frustrated Paolini with powerful returns near the sidelines, with the Italian growing tired as the match progressed.
World No. 1 Sabalenka has now won 60 matches on the tour in 2025.
“Doesn’t matter the score, I always know I have to stay focused. If you give (Paolini) an opportunity, she will take control of the game,” Sabalenka said. “I was focused, I was calm and it feels like everything was in control.”
Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka got her first break with a backhand across the court to go 2-0 up.
Paolini troubled the world No. 1 with low shots down the middle as Sabalenka’s awkward forehand returns hit the net twice, with the Italian getting a crucial break to reduce the Belarusian’s lead to 4-3.
But Sabalenka, whose best finish at the WTA Finals was second in 2022, broke again to go 5-3 up, before landing four aces in the next game to hold her serve and secure the set 6-3.
Sabalenka won the next four games to build up a 4-0 lead in the second set, which proved to be unassailable for two-time Grand Slam finalist Paolini.
“That felt super special, of course I’m super happy and super proud of the work that has been done and that things are working and I’m getting better and better every day,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion.
“I just hope we’ll keep doing what we’re doing and hopefully we can stay there.”
Defending champion Coco Gauff faced fellow American Jessica Pegula in the second match of their Stefanie Graf Group, which ended after press time.
All four women in the group will play each other in a round-robin format, and the top two will qualify for the semi-finals.
In the late match in the Serena Williams Group on Nov 1, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina produced a flawless display on serve to see off WTA Finals debutante Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-1 and get her own campaign off to a winning start.
Kazakh Rybakina, who pulled out of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in late October after reaching the semi-finals to qualify for the season finale, showed no signs of the back issue that hampered her as she beat Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Anisimova.
“I’m very happy with the way I served,” said Rybakina, who dropped only four points on her first serve.
“Amanda’s a great player and a tough opponent. I knew I had to serve well... Hopefully I can continue serving like this.”
After breezing through the opening set, Rybakina broke early in the next for a 3-0 lead before the American got on the board, but there was no stopping the 2022 All England Club champion as she reeled off the games to prevail.
In men’s action, Jannik Sinner won the Paris Masters for the first time by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) on Nov 2 as the four-time Grand Slam champion reclaimed his position atop the world rankings.
The 24-year-old’s maiden crown in Paris, coupled with incumbent world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain crashing out early in the tournament, will see Sinner return to the pinnacle of men’s tennis when the ATP rankings are updated on Nov 3. REUTERS, AFP
