Aryna Sabalenka started her quest to safe the year-end primary rating with a thumping 6-3, 6-4 victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen in her opening spherical robin match on the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Saturday.
Australian and U.S. Open champion Sabalenka, who’s headlining the primary girls’s skilled tennis event in Saudi Arabia, packed far an excessive amount of energy for Zheng at essential factors of their fourth assembly of 2024 to remain good.
In a rematch of their Melbourne and Wuhan title clashes, it was Belarusian Sabalenka who edged forward in a good opening set with a break within the sixth sport and took the early lead within the contest by holding to like.
Olympic champion Zheng loved loads of vociferous help on the King Saud College Indoor Area and led 4 occasions in a more in-depth second set however Sabalenka drew stage every time and at last broke for a 5-4 lead with a searing forehand winner.
She wrapped up the competition on serve regardless of a wobble with a double fault, when Zheng despatched a forehand lengthy.
The WTA Finals, which options the highest eight singles gamers and doubles groups on this planet and has a report prize pot of $15 million, will culminate with the title clashes on November 9.
Successful three spherical robin matches or reaching the ultimate are among the methods Sabalenka can retain high spot this 12 months, whereas closest challenger Iga Swiatek must efficiently defend the trophy to have any probability of overtaking her.
Roland Garros and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini performs 2022 All England Membership champion Elena Rybakina within the second contest from the Purple Group later.
Swiatek takes on Barbora Krejcikova within the Orange Group on Sunday earlier than Coco Gauff meets Jessica Pegula.