World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka battled past Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a gripping semi-final at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Friday, booking her place in the championship match for the second time in five appearances. The Belarusian fired 12 aces and saved six of nine break points in a match that swung with heavy hitting and momentum shifts. Both players went toe-to-toe from the baseline before Sabalenka raised her level in the decider to seal victory in just over two hours. “She always pushes me to play my best tennis,” Sabalenka said after the match. “Honestly, I wouldn’t care if I would lose this match because we both played an incredible match and we both deserve to be in the final.” The four-time Grand Slam champion broke Anisimova in the seventh game of the third set and held firm to close out her fifth win in 11 meetings with the American. It was their fourth clash this season, following encounters at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Sabalenka, who also praised her opponent’s season, added, “I told Amanda that she should be proud of her season, she played incredible tennis the whole season, but it’s just the beginning for her. There are many good things coming her way for sure.” Earlier in the day, Elena Rybakina secured her first WTA Finals final appearance with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over fifth seed Jessica Pegula. The Kazakh hit 15 aces and won 73 percent of her first-serve points to extend her winning streak to 10 matches. “When I came here, I didn’t have many expectations,” Rybakina said. “I’m very happy the way I played in Asia but at the same time, I was quite tired… I didn’t expect to go that far.”
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Both Sabalenka and Rybakina remain unbeaten in Riyadh, and Saturday’s final will not only decide the season-ending crown but could also see the winner earn a record $5.235 million (Rs 46.4 crore) in prize money.
