High-ranked Aryna Sabalenka moved nearer to clinching the year-end world primary rating on Sunday by dominating Greece’s Maria Sakkari in a group-stage opener on the WTA Finals.
The 25-year-old from Belarus, who captured this yr’s Australian Open title, fired six aces and 17 winners whereas saving all 5 break factors she confronted to dispatch Sakkari 6-0, 6-1 on the season-ending occasion in Cancun, Mexico.
Sakkari saved three match factors to carry serve within the penultimate sport however fell after 74 minutes.
“It wasn’t as straightforward because the rating confirmed,” Sabalenka mentioned. “I simply tries to remain targeted, tried to manage myself on this match, doing every thing I can to win.”
American Jessica Pegula defeated Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-2 in 83 minutes within the different singles group stage match on the $9 million outside hardcourt showdown.
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Two teams of 4 gamers will compete in round-robin matches via Friday with the 2 high finishers in every group advancing to Saturday’s semi-finals. The ultimate can be subsequent Sunday.
Sabalenka is making an attempt to carry off second-ranked Iga Swiatek, the reigning French Open champion from Poland, to assert the year-end crown taken final yr by four-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek.
Sabalenka can clinch the year-end high spot by going 2-1 within the group stage and reaching the ultimate it doesn’t matter what Swiatek does.
The triumph by Sabalenka ensures Swiatek should win the title to have an opportunity on the year-end high spot.
Sabalenka was the runner-up in final month’s US Open and reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the French Open. She additionally gained WTA titles this yr at Madrid and Adelaide.
Sabalenka turned world primary after her run to the US Open closing in September, ending Swiatek’s 75-week rankings reign after her debut at primary in April 2022.
“It’s good to achieve certainly one of your targets however you continue to must work laborious and produce your greatest tennis,” Sabalenka mentioned. “Once you attain primary I really feel like you might have this enormous goal in your again.”
Monday’s opening matches within the different group ship Swiatek in opposition to reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic and 19-year-old American Coco Gauff, the US Open champion, in opposition to Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur.