WORLD number one Aryna Sabalenka moved a step closer to retaining top spot in the world after fighting off a gallant Jasmine Paolini in straight sets at the WTA Finals in Riyadh overnight. With a semi-finals spot on the line for the winners after they won their respective first group matches, it was Sabalenka who powered her way home to a 6-3 7-5 victory.

Coming into the match, the pair shared a 2-2 record, having not played since last year in Beijing where Sabalenka had won in a tight two-set match. Though the other time in the past four years was at Indian Wells in 2022, where Paolini stunned the Belarusian to come back from a set down to win, 2-6 6-3 6-3.

In Saudi Arabia on Monday however, it was Sabalenka who would walk away with the chocolates and ensure a semi-finals spot. Despite a gallant effort by Paolini – who lead on serve at 5-4 in the second set and then had two set points on the number one seed’s serve – it would not be enough as the top ranked player and tournament favourite claimed the last three games of the set to take out the match in an hour and 31 minutes.

Sabalenka praised Paolini’s performance with the Italian currently at a career-high fourth in the world, matching her highest ranked WTA compatriot in Francesca Schiavone.

“I think the intensity she put in and the way she’s moving, and she’s playing quite aggressive, flat, deep balls, so you always have to stay low, and it’s kind of like created extra tension,” Sabalenka said. “Physically it’s really difficult playing against her.”

Entering the WTA Finals for the first time, Paolini now sits at at 1-1 record and will face off against Qinwen Zheng for the other semi-finals spot on Wednesday. Sabalenka has been here and done it before, and remained composed when in trouble during that second set.

“I was already thinking about a third set, but I kept reminding myself, like Aryna, you’re still in the second set,” Sabalenka said. “You still got a lot of chances, you’re serving. And I don’t know, honestly, I was just trying to stay aggressive.

“I was just trying to show her that even if it’s gonna if, even if she’s going to win this set, I’m gonna fight for it, and she’ll have to put it into, into hard work to get that win.”

Qinwen quells rusty Rybakina in epic three-set match

MATCH fitness played a big part in Chinese hope Zheng’s chance of remaining alive in the WTA Finals, fighting through a second set comeback from former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to post a 7-6 3-6 6-1 victory in two hour and 25 minutes in Riyadh.

Zheng entered the match having never taken a set off Rybakina – let alone beaten her – though the pair was yet to play in 2024 given the time off Rybakina had taken from the middle of the year. The Kazakh had done enough early to earn a spot in the WTA Finals, but Zheng’s form – which included a ridiculous second half of the season with three titles and another final – was too much.

It was an entertaining game however, with two of the game’s biggest servers going head-to-head. Though Zheng’s inaccuracy on serve still haunted her (six aces for five double faults) compared to Rybakina (eight aces for one double fault), she would do enough off her first serve (80 per cent) to get the job done.

“I was the one to make the first break, and then I let her back in the first,” Zheng said post-match. “Then it happened again in second. But in the third set I talked to myself. I broke her first and I stayed focused.

“Finally in the third set I start to play my tennis again. So I’m really happy to win the match.”