Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jasmine Paolini in straight sets to become the first player to secure a spot in the last four competing at the WTA Finals. The athlete won 6-3, 7-5.
After winning the match, Sabalenka admitted: “I’m proud of myself. Not only myself, my team…We were able to overcome a lot of things. To be able to show such great tennis and become world number one. It’s teamwork, it’s not only me.”
She added: “Nobody sees the behind-the-scenes work. But they do a lot for me. I really appreciate them for everything they do for me. This is motivation for me to keep winning on this court.”
Highlights of the match
Sabalenka, the two-time 2024 Grand Slam champion, got off to a fast start against Paolini with an early double break of service. Although Paolini returned the breaks, she was unable to mount a match defence against her opponent.
In the second set, Paolini made a comeback to go 5-4 ahead, even though Sabalenka got off four consecutive games. However, after saving two set points, Sabalenka broke Paolini’s serve again before ending the match.
Sabalenka stated: “The second set was quite tricky, I was just trying to stay aggressive, to show her that I am going to fight for this set no matter what… I’m really happy to close this match in straight sets.”
The competition this year offers record prize money. The singles winner is expected to take home over £4 million.
Source: BBC