IMAGE: Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka in action during her women’s singles group stage match against China’s Qinwen Zheng. Photograph: WTA/X
No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus had little trouble getting past China’s Qinwen Zheng in a group-stage match at the WTA Finals on Saturday, prevailing 6-3, 6-4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sabalenka finished with just three aces to Zheng’s eight, but she won 31 of 33 first-serve points and rallied from deficits of 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3 in the second set.
“I’m super happy with the win, especially against Qinwen,” Sabalenka said. “It’s always tough matches, tough battles against her, and I’m really … glad I was able to finish this match in straight sets.”
Eight players are currently competing in two round-robin groups at the WTA Finals — the Purple Group and the Orange Group. Sabalenka and Zheng are in the Purple Group along with fourth-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini and No. 5 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
Defending champion and No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland, Americans Coco Gauff (third seed) and Jessica Pegula (sixth seed) and Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, seeded eighth, make up the Orange Group.
The top two players from each group will land in the semifinals, which are scheduled for Friday. The final is set for next Saturday.
No one from the Orange Group took the court on Saturday, but Paolini and Rybakina were in action, with Paolini coming away with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 sweep.
It marked Paolini’s first career victory at the WTA Finals. She took advantage of a rather rusty Rybakina, who had not played in a match since the U.S. Open.
“I didn’t know what to expect too much, because she’s not playing since (the U.S. Open),” Paolini said. “But I knew that here she’s going to serve very well. So I was ready to fight, especially on my service game, trying to be every service game focused, and trying to be close in the score. And I said to myself, ‘When you have the occasion, you have to try to break her.'”
Still, Rybakina is optimistic that she can make some noise at the WTA Finals.
“Overall, I think it was a good (match),” she said. “From such a break, I think that was not so bad, the level of my game after just two and a half weeks of preparation. I’m looking forward to the next match and hopefully I can do better.”
Hong Kong Tennis Open
No. 2 seed Katie Boulter of Great Britain moved to her third final of the year after defeating No. 6 seed Yuan Yue of China 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in China.
She won earlier this season at San Diego and Nottingham and will face top-seeded Diana Shnaider of Russia on Sunday for the title. Boulter won 68 percent of points (40 of 59) on her first serve and also converted six of 15 break opportunities.
Shnaider has three career titles to her name — all this season. She moved on by defeating Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, the third seed, 6-4, 6-2 behind five break points in 87 minutes.
Jiangxi Open
Unseeded Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland upset top-seeded Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 6-2 to cruise into the final in Jiujiang, China.
The Czech dominated in the opening three rounds, winning each match in straight sets, but was ousted by Golubic on the strength of eight service breaks by the Swiss in the 77-minute match.
In the final, Golubic will face No. 2 seed Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia, who topped Germany’s Laura Siegemund 7-6 (4), 6-2. Sramkova saved 12 of 15 break points while breaking the German’s serve five times. Sramkova will be in her fourth final this season, winning in Hua Hin.
Merida Open Akron
Russia’s Alina Korneeva earned a 6-3, 6-1 straight-set victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo in the quarterfinals at Merida, Mexico.
Korneeva, 17, saved 10 of 12 break points in the win. She also converted 6 of 6 break points.
Sorribes Tormo quickly fell into deep holes in both sets, going behind 5-1 in the opener before facing a 4-0 deficit in the second set.
