The eliminations came after Zheng Qinwen defeated Elena Rybakina earlier in the day.
Cincinnati Open, US Open and Wuhan Open champion, Sabalenka With 22 wins in its last 23 matches, it had the chance to finish the year as number 1 in the world. Sabalenka’s next match in the group will be against Rybakina and she will consolidate her leading position with three wins in the group.
This victory marked the first meeting between Sabalenka and Paolini in over a year. Paolini, who had an impressive season with back-to-back Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, rose to world No. 4 in WTA history and became the highest-ranked Italian alongside Francesca Schiavone, according to the official WTA website.
In Monday’s match, Sabalenka quickly took control and won the first set 6-3 in just 36 minutes, defeating Paolini with her aggressive play. In the second set, Paolini managed to close the gap and get two set points as Sabalenka took the lead 4-2. However, Sabalenka withstood the pressure and closed out the match, continuing her perfect run in Riyadh.
(source: AFP)
