November 02, (THEWILL) — Riyadh witnessed top seed, Aryna Sabalenka, launch her WTA Finals campaign with a commanding victory on Sunday. The Belarusian swept aside Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-1, claiming her fifth successive win against the world number eight.
The US Open champion fired 11 aces and pinned the Italian behind the baseline with powerful shots directed near the sidelines. Paolini visibly tired during the contest, unable to match Sabalenka’s intensity. The world number one has now amassed 60 tour wins this season, cementing her status amongst the elite.
Sabalenka struck first with a cross-court backhand to move ahead 2-0 in the opening set. Paolini briefly threatened a comeback, breaking serve to close the gap to 4-3 after capitalising on two forehand errors from the Belarusian. However, Sabalenka immediately responded by breaking back to lead 5-3, then delivered four aces in the following game to claim the set 6-3.
The second set offered little resistance from the two-time Grand Slam finalist. Sabalenka stormed to a 4-0 advantage that proved insurmountable, eventually closing out the match 6-1. The four-time major champion, who finished runner-up at the 2022 WTA Finals, demonstrated complete control throughout.
“Doesn’t matter the score, I always know I have to stay focused. If you give (Paolini) an opportunity she will take control of the game,” Sabalenka said. “I was focused, I was calm and it feels like everything was in control.” Defending champion Coco Gauff met fellow American Jessica Pegula in the evening’s second group match. The four players will compete in round-robin format, with the top two progressing to the semi-finals.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
