is always pushing me to play my best tennis, and honestly, I wouldn’t care if I had lost this match because we played an incredible match and we both deserved a place in the final,” Sabalenka said after her win. “It was an incredible fight, and I’m super happy to get the win.”
Sabalenka’s victory came after she saved three break points to hold serve in the first game of the match. Anisimova also showed resilience by fighting back from 0-40 down to do likewise. The Belarusian ultimately clinched the first set with a decisive break of serve.
Rybakina Defeats Pegula for Second Final Appearances
Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina secured her second appearance in a WTA Finals final after defeating Jessica Pegula. The Kazakh tennis player won 4-6 6-4 6-3 to progress into the Saturday showdown with Sabalenka.
“It’s going to be another powerful game and I feel like today was great preparation for Elena,” Sabalenka added. “I’m looking forward to leaving everything I have in the last match of the season and fighting for this beautiful trophy.” Rybakina, ranked sixth in the world, has now won 10 consecutive matches.
Rybakina served an impressive 503 aces throughout the tournament, more than any other player on the WTA Tour. She overcame early breaks to find her way back into the match and clinched victory with four successive points after Jessica Pegula had two game points at 4-4 in the deciding set.
Other Notable Matches
In doubles, Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani secured a spot in the final of their event by defeating Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko with a score of 6-4 7-6 (7-5). Meanwhile, Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens beat Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 10-6 to advance in the other doubles semi-final.
Sabalenka’s victory over Anisimova was a testament to her preparation for the final, as she noted that the match against Pegula had been “great preparation” for facing Rybakina. Both players are expected to deliver an exciting and competitive final in Riyadh on Saturday.