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• WTA Finals: Sabalenka digs deep to reach semi-finals

  Aryna Sabalenka became the first player to book her place in the WTA Finals semi-finals after her straight-sets win over Jasmine Paolini on Monday.

  The Belarusian had to dig deep in the second set but prevailed in 91 minutes, beating the Italian 6-3 7-5 in Riyadh to secure top spot in the Purple Group after two games.

  While Sabalenka cruised through the first set, she was almost forced to a decider, but saved two set points in the 10th game of the second to level the score at 5-5 before going on to claim the victory.

  In doing so, she became the first player to reach back-to-back semi-finals at the tournament as world number one since Serena Williams in 2013-14.

  Having won three of her previous four tournaments and won 22 of her 23 matches in that time, Sabalenka is now just one win away from securing the year-end world number one spot for the first time, a feat she can achieve if she beats Elena Rybakina on Wednesday in the final round-robin match.

  And she can go into it with confidence after improving her record against top-five opponents in 2024, with this her fifth such triumph.

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

  "We were able to overcome a lot of things. To be able to show such great tennis and become World No. 1. It's teamwork. It's not only me. The behind-the-scenes work nobody sees.

  "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. Those guys deserve to be called the best team ever."

  In Monday's other match, Zheng Qinwen kept her hopes of reaching the final four alive with her win over Rybakina.

  The Olympic champion was forced to go the distance though, despite getting the first break in the first and second sets, but eventually came out on top 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-1 in just under two-and-a-half hours.

  Since the event's inauguration in 1972, Zheng is just the second Chinese player to win a match at the WTA Finals after Li Na.

  It was a milestone victory for the 22-year-old as well as she earned her 50th win of 2024, improving her record to 50-17, making her the first Chinese player in the Open Era to hit that mark in a calendar year, though she acknowledged she could have made things easier for herself.

  "I was the one to make the first break, and then I let her back in the first," Zheng said.

  "Then it happened again in the 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."

• WTA Finals: Swiatek battles from the brink to make winning start

  Iga Swiatek began her bid to regain the world number one ranking by recovering from a set and double break down to beat Barbora Krejcikova in her first match at the WTA Finals.

  Swiatek, playing in her first competitive game since her US Open quarter-final exit, emerged a 4-6 7-5 6-2 victor against the Wimbledon champion in Riyadh. 

  The Pole is the third player in the last 30 years to achieve three or more seasons in a row with over 60 wins, after Martina Hingis (1997-2001) and Caroline Wozniacki (2009-2011).

  Only Elina Svitolina (12) has played fewer matches at the WTA Finals than Swiatek (13) to achieve 10 wins at this event since the reintroduction of the Round Robin format in 2003.

  But the Pole acknowledged the difficulties she faced against Krejcikova, saying she must improve if she is to retain her WTA Finals crown.

  “Even though I played a lot of those [practice] matches,” Swiatek said afterward. “I kind of forgot for a while how it is to feel all those things, a bit different stress and emotions.

  "For sure, I needed some time to adapt. The most important thing was that even though it happened, I managed to fight through that. And was patient enough to wait to get better.”

  In Sunday's other match, Coco Gauff beat fellow American and doubles partner Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-2 in the second Orange Group match.

  Gauff moved to a win-loss record of 51-16 in 2024, including the Olympics and team events, equalling her career-high from 2023 for WTA-level match wins in a calendar year.

  She is now only the fifth player to claim 20 or more WTA top 10 wins before turning 21, along with Kim Clijsters (45), Maria Sharapova (39), Ana Ivanovic (26) and Wozniacki (23) since 2000.

  "I think maybe I served better than previous times and this is our first time, I think, playing each other on indoor hard, so maybe that had something to do with it," Gauff said.

  "I don't know. I think I know I've lost to her a lot, but it doesn't feel like it sometimes. 

  "Because we do practice a lot, and obviously, when we're playing sometimes I win practice sets, sometimes she does. So it doesn't feel like the head to head is as bad as it was."

• ‘People will know my game’ – Shnaider beats Boulter in Hong Kong final

  Diana Shnaider knows she will have a target on her back next year after capping her breakout season by beating Katie Boulter in Sunday’s Hong Kong Open final.

  Top seed Shnaider cruised to a 6-1 6-2 victory over second seed Boulter in 72 minutes, claiming her fourth WTA Tour title of the year.

  Only Iga Swiatek (five) and Aryna Sabalenka (four) have matched that number, but the Russian knows being in that company will take away her element of surprise next season.

  "It's nice to be in that company," Shnaider said after her win. "I will definitely push harder to be on the same stage as them, to win more tournaments and at even higher categories. 

  “That's the future. This year I did an amazing job. Next year, everyone will be getting ready, knowing my game, 'Oh she's tough,' stuff like that. 

  “But it's important for me to play against the best in the world. Even if there are a lot of losses, I'll be as positive as possible, just keep building my game, my mentality, my physical strength. 

  “There are a lot of things I can improve and achieve to be, say, a Top 10 player. It's not a rush, I'll have to be patient."

  Shnaider also revealed four was her lucky number, having ended a year that saw her rise from world number 97 to 14 with that number of trophies.

  "Well, I was born second of April and I just love those combinations with two and four. Obviously it’s the season of 2024," she said. "There are crazy circumstances, like the Hua Hin title I won was happening for the fourth year.

  "Then I won Bad Homburg and that was happening for the fourth year. The number just keeps following me. I guess it's like a lucky charm for me."