Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. Today, I’m super excited to dive into some thrilling news from the world of tennis. As we approach the end of the year, the WTA Finals in Riyadh are heating up, and the stakes are higher than ever. Let’s talk about Elena Rybakina and her plans to spoil Aryna Sabalenka’s world No. 1 hopes.
Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion, has been making waves at the WTA Finals. Despite losing her chances of qualifying for the semifinal after a tough match against Zheng Qinwen, Rybakina still has something to play for in her final group match against Sabalenka on Wednesday. If she wins and finishes with a 3-0 record in the Round Robin, she could potentially deny Iga Swiatek the chance to overtake her at the top spot and secure the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career.
Rybakina has been on a mission to make it difficult for Sabalenka, acknowledging the Belarusian’s impressive form over the past few months. “She’s been playing really well this year and she has a lot of confidence and it’s going to be a difficult one definitely,” Rybakina said. “But I feel that even today I played better than the last match so hopefully against her I can try to push myself a little bit more and we see how it goes. She’s No. 1 now, so I want to enjoy and make it a bit difficult for her too.”
The head-to-head between Rybakina and Sabalenka is currently in favor of the Belarusian, with a 6-3 lead. However, their recent matches have seen a split in wins, with Rybakina’s victory on hard courts in Brisbane earlier this year being particularly notable.
Zheng Qinwen’s victory over Rybakina in their recent match was a testament to the Kazakh’s rusty form after a two-month break. Despite coming back from 2-3 down in the second set, Rybakina couldn’t maintain her momentum in the third set, losing 6-1. However, she remains optimistic about her chances against Sabalenka, reflecting on the match: “Yeah today was a longer match and I think I had some chances also in the first set. I was always down but then in the tiebreak, just a couple of better points and then it would’ve been easier but overall I played again from beginning till the end this tough match, three sets. Not the result I wanted of course and definitely in the third set, physically I was already very tired and didn’t feel the greatest but overall it’s a good one for me”.
Meanwhile, Zheng Qinwen expressed her satisfaction with her win but also acknowledged the challenge she faced. “I was the one to make the first break, and then I let her back in the first. Then it happened again in second. But in the third set I talked to myself. I broke her first and I stayed focused. Finally in the third set I start to play my tennis again. So I’m really happy to win the match,” she said after beating Rybakina.
This matchup between Rybakina and Sabalenka promises to be an exciting one, with both players determined to make their mark. As we continue to follow the WTA Finals, it’s clear that this tournament is shaping up to be one for the books. If you want, you can check out the news where I found it here.
Yours truly,
Mia
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