RIYADH: Top seed Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her WTA Finals campaign with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Jasmine Paolini, while defending champion Coco Gauff struggled with double faults as Jessica Pegula beat her 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2 in Riyadh on Sunday.
Sabalenka, who won the US Open this year, landed 11 aces and frustrated Paolini with powerful returns near the sidelines, with the Italian growing tired as the match progressed. The world number one has now won 60 matches on tour this year.
“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 after the 500th match of her career. “I was focused, I was calm and it feels like everything was in control.”
Speaking to Arab News after the match, Sabalenka said: “I know that I have to win five matches if I want to hold this beautiful trophy. So basically, my mindset is just go out there and compete and fight for every match.”
Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka got her first break with a backhand across the court to go 2-0 up. Paolini troubled the world number one with low shots down the middle as Sabalenka’s awkward forehand returns hit the net twice, with the Italian getting a crucial break to reduce the Belarusian’s lead to 4-3.
But Sabalenka, runner-up in the 2022 edition of the WTA Finals, broke again to go 5-3 up before landing four aces in the next game to hold serve and secure the set 6-3. She then won the next four games to build up a 4-0 lead in the second set, which proved unassailable for Paolini, who suffered a fifth straight loss to the Belarusian.
“It’s always tough to play Aryna — the ball goes very fast and she hits so many aces,” Paolini told Arab News afterward. “I’m trying to take the positives and keep improving.”
DOUBLE FAULTS DERAIL GAUFF
Two-time Grand Slam winner Gauff committed 17 double faults and 45 forehand unforced errors as she lost to Pegula in the second game of Group Steffi Graf.
The match began with five straight breaks until Pegula managed to hold serve to go 4-2 up. Gauff saved two set points, but her struggles with double faults in the final game sealed the first set in Pegula’s favor.
Third seed Gauff bounced back in the second set, landing five aces and forcing Pegula to stay near the baseline. Gauff broke early to build a 5-4 lead, but committed two double faults as Pegula got the break back to make it 5-5.
Gauff broke again to go 6-5 up and was serving for the set, but committed three straight double faults to lose the game. The 21-year-old finally secured the set in a tiebreak.
Pegula was better prepared for Gauff’s pressure tactics in the third set, finding the perfect angle for a forehand return from the baseline to go 3-2 up with a break. A struggling Gauff could not win another game, registering 75 unforced errors in the 112 points she lost in the match.
“Coco’s a great champion, great competitor, good friend, so it’s always tough playing her... I just tried my best today to execute where I could,” Pegula said after the win. She later told Arab News: “I thought tactically I was able to do what I wanted to do. It’s always a fine line with Coco — you have to be aggressive but also can’t overplay. I thought I served really well and it was nice to see that pay off.”
Reflecting on the defeat, Gauff said: “I had chances in the third set. I’ll learn from it and move on — try to start by winning the next match first.”
World number two Iga Swiatek will look for her second straight win in Group Serena Williams as she faces Elena Rybakina on Monday, while Amanda Anisimova takes on fellow American Madison Keys.
* With Reuters
