Sabalenka reaches semis at WTA Finals with win over Paolini

Bengaluru — World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka secured a semifinal berth at the WTA Finals by beating Italian fourth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-3 7-5 on Monday, placing her on the brink of clinching the year-end top ranking.

A win over Elena Rybakina in the final group match on Wednesday or a loss by Poland’s Iga Swiatek would seal the year-end top spot for the Belarusian, who remains unbeaten in her group.

Sabalenka’s win combined with Chinese Zheng Qinwen’s earlier 7-6(4) 3-6 6-1 victory over Rybakina ensured the top seed would top her group regardless of her final result on Wednesday, making her the first player to reach the final four.

Australian Open and US Open champion Sabalenka also won her opening match in Riyadh against seventh seed Zheng.

The Chinese player and Paolini, with 1-1 records, both remain in contention for the semis and meet on Wednesday.

Swiatek is the only player who can overtake Sabalenka in the world rankings.

The 23-year-old, who played Coco Gauff on Tuesday, needs to retain her title undefeated and hope Sabalenka loses her remaining matches to claim the year-end number one spot.

“I’m proud of myself. Not only myself, my team,” Sabalenka said. “We were able to overcome a lot of things. To be able to show such great tennis and become world No 1, It’s teamwork. It’s not only me. 

“Nobody sees the behind-the-scenes work. But they do a lot for me. I appreciate them for everything they do for me. This is the motivation for me to keep winning on this court. Those guys deserve to be called the best team ever.”

Sabalenka is the first player to reach back-to-back semis at the WTA Finals as world No 1 since Serena Williams in 2013/14.

Zheng, 22, notched her first career win over 25-year-old Kazakh Rybakina in their third meeting, bouncing back from her loss to Sabalenka to become the second Chinese player after Li Na to win a match at the Finals since they started in 1972.

Rybakina suffered her second defeat, having arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with fitness issues.

Zheng, by contrast, came into the event after winning titles in Palermo and Tokyo plus Olympic gold in Paris.

“I’m really happy to win this match because I’d never beaten her before and she’s one of the greatest players right now on tour,” Zheng said.

“Even though I had a chance in the second set and didn’t take it, I’m happy I came back in the third set and stayed focused.”

Reuters