Sabalenka Advances, Zheng Defeats Rybakina at WTA Finals
Aryna Sabalenka advances to semi-finals at WTA Finals with a win over Jasmine Paolini, while Zheng Qinwen eliminates Elena Rybakina in Riyadh.
Sabalenka ensured her spot in the final four of the Purple Group by winning both of her round-robin matches in Saudi Arabia this week.
The Belarusian top seed is one win away from securing the year-end No 1 ranking, in a direct battle against Iga Swiatek.
Sabalenka, trailing 0-2 in the second set, saved 2 set points at 4-5 and beat Paolini, the Italian fourth seed. She has an impressive record of winning 22 out of her last 23 matches on tour.
Earlier at King Saud University Indoor Arena, Zheng defeated No. 5 Rybakina with a 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 victory, boosting her chances of reaching the semifinals.
7th-seeded Zheng recovered from her loss to Sabalenka and secured her first victory against Rybakina.
Rybakina lost again in Saudi Arabia and can't make it to the semi-finals. She has one more round-robin match against Sabalenka on Wednesday.
Zheng apologized for yelling at supporters during the final set, and acknowledged it during her on-court interview.
She thanked them for their support and admitted she could have handled it better.
Zheng arrived in Riyadh boasting a remarkable season, winning titles in Palermo and Tokyo, and capturing an Olympic gold medal in singles in Paris. She remains unmatched in terms of match victories during this period.
The first Chinese player since Li Na in 2013 to qualify for the WTA Finals, Zheng has a 12-2 record from the Asian swing and leads the tour in aces and first-serve points won.
Zheng took an early lead against Rybakina, but it was quickly erased as Rybakina fought back.
The set went to a tiebreak, which Zheng won with a long forehand from Rybakina after 58 minutes.
Zheng took the lead in the second set, but Rybakina came back to tie it. However, Zheng won four consecutive games to take the set and force a third.
Zheng surged ahead 4-1 in the final set, securing her 9th career win against a top-10 opponent.
Chinese Olympic champ has 20 three-set wins in 2024, highest since 2016.
