FORT WORTH, United States — World number
seven
Aryna Sabalenka rallied from a set down to beat second-ranked Ons Jabeur
on Monday as round-robin play began at the season-ending WTA Finals.
اضافة اعلان
Sabalenka shook off an error-strewn start to beat
the Tunisian, a finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open this year, 3–6, 7–6
(7/5), 7–5 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
“I think it’s the biggest win of the season for me,”
said Sabalenka, who was a semi-finalist in the WTA’s season finale last year
but has endured a disappointing 2022 campaign.
“She played unbelievable and somehow another miracle
happened for me and I was able to win this match.”
Sabalenka had to dig deep to improve her record
against Jabeur to 3–1.
Jabeur, making her
WTA Finals debut, was two points
away from victory at 5–3 in the second set tiebreaker, and she had two chances
to break for a 5–2 lead in the third.
But Sabalenka held on, breaking Jabeur at love to
level the set at 4–4 and capturing the victory when Jabeur netted a forehand on
the first match point.
“I didn’t feel welcome on this court,” Sabalenka
said of her early struggles. “I couldn’t understand what was happening, the
ball was bouncing too slow for me.
“Then in the second set I kind of calmed down and
tried to think what I had to do to win this match.”
Greece’s fifth-ranked Maria Sakkari, aiming to
improve on a semi-final appearance in the event last year, defeated
third-ranked American Jessica Pegula 7–6 (8/6), 7–6 (7/4) in the other Nancy
Richey Group encounter.
In a rematch of the WTA Guadalajara final won by
Pegula eight days earlier, she and Sakkari traded six service breaks in the
opening set, Pegula twice recovering a break before Sakkari put it away in the
tiebreaker.
After pocketing the first, Sakkari raced to a 3–0
lead in the second set before Pegula, who survived match points to win three
times this season, broke back to trim the deficit to 3–2.
Pegula saved a pair of match points against her
serve in the 12th game to force the tiebreaker, the second with a stinging
backhand winner.
But Sakkari sealed it on her third opportunity when
Pegula’s effort found the net.
“It’s never easy against Jess,” said Sakkari, who
improved to 4-2 against the American.
“She’s an amazing player. She’s very confident right
now. I knew it was going to be extremely tough but I fought hard and trusted my
game.”
Sakkari said she knew from prior encounters with
Pegula she had to be aggressive.
“If you’re passive, Jess is just going to make you
run. She’s going to hit the ball very hard, and it’s over,” Sakkari said.
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