Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning Australian and US Open champion, kicked off her quest for the year-end world No. 1 ranking with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory over China's Zheng Qinwen in her opening round-robin match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini scored a hard-fought 7-6(5), 6-4 win over 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the second contest of the Purple Group.

Sabalenka Showcases Dominant Display, Paolini Pulls Off Upset

Sabalenka Asserts Dominance in Opener

Sabalenka, the world No. 1, proved too powerful for Zheng at crucial moments in their fourth meeting of the year, maintaining her perfect record against the Chinese player. The Belarusian star broke Zheng's serve at 3-2 in the opening set and went on to serve out the set comfortably. In the second set, the match was tied at 4-4 when Sabalenka broke Zheng's serve again and sealed the victory, earning her first win in the Purple Group."She's such a great player. We always have great battles," Sabalenka said after the match. "She plays aggressive tennis. She forced me to step in and go for it. That's why I bring my best tennis and I'm super happy with the first win."Sabalenka's triumph keeps her on track to secure the year-end No. 1 ranking, a feat she has yet to achieve in her career. Winning three round-robin matches or reaching the final at the WTA Finals would be enough for Sabalenka to retain the top spot, while her closest challenger, Iga Swiatek, needs to successfully defend her title to have any chance of overtaking her.

Paolini Upsets Rybakina in Tight Encounter

In the second match of the day, Jasmine Paolini pulled off a surprise victory over Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion. Facing Rybakina for the first time since her French Open quarter-final triumph, Paolini broke first to take a 4-2 lead in the opening set before the world No. 5 fought back to level the set.The tight first set came down to a tiebreaker, where Paolini emerged victorious. The Italian player remained in control throughout the second set, earning her first career win at the WTA Finals."I played a really solid match," Paolini said after the match. "I'm really happy with the way I handled the pressure and the tough moments. It's a great start to the tournament for me."

Purple Group Standings

With Sabalenka and Paolini's victories, the Purple Group standings are as follows:1. Aryna Sabalenka (1-0)2. Jasmine Paolini (1-0)3. Elena Rybakina (0-1)4. Zheng Qinwen (0-1)

Upcoming Matches on Sunday

The action continues on Sunday in the Orange Group, with world No. 2 Iga Swiatek taking on Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, followed by an all-American clash between Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.