Tennis world number one Aryna Sabalenka became the first player to reach the semi-finals at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Monday.
The Australian and US Open winner is no longer out of the top two places in Group A after her second preliminary round success with 6:3, 7:5 against the Italian Jasmine Paolini, who was listed three positions lower, even before her third and final group game to suppress.
For second place in the semi-finals for a player from the A group, Paolini and the Chinese Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen are contesting a real final. Zheng preserved her chances of taking part in the semi-finals against Kazakh Jelena Rybakina with her first preliminary round win with a score of 7:6 (7:4), 3:6, 6:1.
Rybakina has no chance after a second defeat
For Rybakina, on the other hand, who had already lost her opening match against Paolini, the season finale of the eight best of the year, worth 15.25 million dollars, was already over before her final preliminary round match against Sabalenka.
In Group B, the Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, the Pole Iga Swiatek and the Czech Barbora Krejcikova are fighting for the semi-final qualification. After just two games, the race is still completely open.
