Sabalenka Reaches WTA Finals Semi-Finals; Rybakina Eliminated

Aryna Sabalenka secured her place in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals after defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 7-5 in a dominant performance, which also marked the elimination of Elena Rybakina from the tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sabalenka, the top seed, delivered a clinical display to overcome Paolini, saving two set points in the second set before breaking her opponent's serve once again to clinch the victory. The win not only confirmed Sabalenka's semi-final berth but also ended Rybakina's chances of advancing.

Earlier in the day, Rybakina, from Kazakhstan, lost 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-1 to Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, marking her second defeat of the tournament. With a Paolini win over Sabalenka, Rybakina still had a chance to progress, but the outcome of the match meant that her hopes were dashed.

Sabalenka's victory brings her one step closer to claiming a first WTA Finals title, as well as securing the year-end World No. 1 ranking. If Sabalenka defeats Rybakina in her final Purple Group match on Wednesday, she will remain at the top of the standings going into 2025, holding off second-place Iga Swiatek.

"I'm proud of myself. Not only myself, my team," Sabalenka said after the match. "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. 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."

The match saw Sabalenka make a strong start with an early double break of serve, taking a 4-0 lead over Paolini in the first set. While Paolini, the No. 4 seed, managed to break back once, she was unable to keep up with Sabalenka's power.

The second set was a tougher challenge, as Paolini mounted a fightback after an early break of serve. Paolini managed to take a 5-4 lead, but Sabalenka saved two set points and broke back. She then closed out the match to claim victory in straight sets.

"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," Sabalenka commented. "I'm really happy to close this match in straight sets."

This year's WTA Finals, taking place in Saudi Arabia for the first time, have been controversial due to concerns over the country's human rights record. However, the tournament features a record prize pool, with the singles champion set to earn approximately £4 million.

In other group action, Jessica Pegula will meet Barbora Krejcikova on Tuesday, followed by the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, facing Coco Gauff.