Qinwen Zheng booked her place in the last four of the WTA Finals with a dominant 6-1 6-1 victory over Jasmine Paolini.

The Olympic gold medallist hit 12 aces as she powered past this season's French Open and Wimbledon finalist in just over an hour in Riyadh.

This was the winner-takes-all clash in Purple Group, with both players aiming to join world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals.

The form player since Wimbledon with 29 wins from 34 matches - also including titles in Palermo and Tokyo, plus a run to the final in Wuhan - Zheng quickly asserted her authority on proceedings.

The 22-year-old scored five breaks of serve on the way to becoming the youngest semi-finalist on her WTA Finals debut since Petra Kvitova in 2011.

"Finally, I showed off some tennis I really want to play," she said. "Of course, when you enter the match, you are nervous, but at the same time, you feel confidence because you know your level. And I know how capable I am.

"I remember in 2022, my serve was quite strong. I don't know why but, suddenly in 2023, my serve started to drop. In this tournament and the rest of this half-year, it is the first time I've felt like the serve is starting to come back."

Beating two top-10 players in the same tournament for the first time, Zheng is the first Chinese player to achieve the feat since Li Na (four) at this event 11 years ago.

The seventh seed also follows in the footsteps of Na and Kimiko Date in 1994 as one of three players representing an Asian country to reach the last four at the WTA Finals. 

Sabalenka's place in the semi-finals was already secured, rendering her 6-4 3-6 6-1 defeat by Elena Rybakina academic, though ending a seven-match winning streak.

Having shared the two meetings this season in Brisbane and Madrid, the players took a close set each here, but it was one-way traffic in the decider.

In the final match of her first tournament since withdrawing from the US Open with a back injury, Rybakina did not face a single break point in the final set, while winning all 12 points on her first serve, to bow out with victory.

Though academic, it was an historic victory for the Kazahstani, who became the first player representing an Asian country to defeat the world number one at the WTA Finals.

Rybakina is also the fourth player to achieve six or more wins over the WTA's number one across a two-season span, after Tracy Austin (1979-80), Venus Williams (1999-00) and Lindsay Davenport (2000-01).

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."

Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominance over Zheng Qinwen with victory in her first match of the season-ending WTA Finals in Riyadh. 

Sabalenka, who entered the tournament as the new world number one, emerged a 6-3 6-4 victor in just under an hour and a half in Saudi Arabia. 

The Belarusian's triumph saw her claim a 10th win against a top 10 opponent in 2024, surpassing Iga Swiatek (nine), who is in action against Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday. 

Sabalenka also improved her record to 5-0 against the Olympic champion, though acknowledged the difficulties she faced.

"I’m super happy with the win, especially against Qinwen," Sabalenka said.

“It’s always tough matches, tough battles against her, and I'm really, I’m really glad I was able to finish this match in straight sets.”

Having won the Australian Open and US Open this season, Sabalenka said it is her dream to claim a maiden WTA Finals crown. 

"It would mean everything to me. I really worked hard the past years since the very beginning of my career," the 26-year-old said.

"I really hope I'll be able to hold this beautiful trophy one day."

In Saturday's other match, Jasmine Paolini marked her WTA Finals debut with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over Elena Rybakina.

Paolini became the first Italian to register 40 wins during a single season at WTA events since Sara Errani, who managed 48 Tour-level victories in 2015.

Barbora Krejcikova paid an emotional tribute to Jana Novotna following her semi-final victory against Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon. 

Krejcikova came from a set down to emerge victorious, beating the 2022 Wimbledon champion 3-6 6-3 6-4 in a remarkable turnaround on Centre Court. 

The world number 31 became the seventh Czech-born woman to reach a women's singles final at Wimbledon in the Open Era, following in the footsteps of her former coach. 

Novotna, who won the competition in 1998 when she defeated France's Nathalie Tauziat, passed away in 2017 from ovarian cancer at the age of 49. 

The pair first met when Krejcikova was 18 years old, with the 28-year-old reduced to tears as she dedicated the win to her former friend in her post-match interview. 

"I just miss her very much, I miss her so much," Krejcikova said after reaching her first Wimbledon women's singles final.

"Definitely I remember thinking about Jana a lot. I have so many beautiful memories and when I step on the court here, I am fighting for every ball, and I am sure that is what she would want me to do.

"She was telling me a lot of stories about her journey here and how she was trying to win Wimbledon. I was so far away when we had this talk.

"Now I am here and I am in a final!

"I remember thinking about her a lot. I have so many beautiful memories and when I step on the court I fight for every single ball as that is what she would want me to do."

Krejcikova will face Jasmine Paolini in Saturday's final in what will be the first women's singles final at a grand slam during the Open Era where two opponents have previously met in a grand slam qualifier. 

The Czech won in straight sets in the aforementioned clash at the Australian Open in 2018 and is expecting a tough encounter against the world number seven. 

"A big fight. I know that she is a huge fighter and she showed today, but it will be the same from me. We are playing great tennis and it will be a great match on Saturday."

Barbora Krejcikova came from a set down to stun Elena Rybakina to reach the Wimbledon final where she will face Jasmine Paolini on Saturday. 

Krejcikova extended her unbeaten record against the Kazakh world number four to three matches, emerging a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victor on Centre Court. 

The opening two games saw Rybakina assert her dominance, securing a break point early on as she racked up a four-game lead without reply. 

Krejcikova would get her first game on the board soon after and would find a break of her own in the eighth game, but her slow start was punished as Rybakina saw out the first set, serving five aces along the way. 

Krejcikova found her rhythm, but she made hard work of sealing the second set after serving two double faults in the ninth game, opening the door for her opponent. However, she was able to get the job done to take the game to a decider. 

Krejcikova and Rybakina exchanged a number of long rallies in the third set, but it would be the world number 31 who would get the decisive break point. 

The seventh game saw Rybakina lead with a service hold to love, but Krejcikova then put three games together on the spin to edge closer to victory. 

There was to be no comeback for the 2022 Wimbledon champion, as Krejcikova completed the turnaround on serve as Rybakina sent a forehand long to confirm her remarkable triumph. 

"Unbelievable. "It is very tough to explain, but a lot of joy and a lot of emotions. Also there is a lot of relief and I am super proud," Krejcikova said in her post-match interview.

"I am so proud about my game and my fighting spirit today.

"I was trying to fight for every single ball, during the second set I was getting my momentum and when I broke her I started to be in the zone and I didn't want to leave the zone."

Data Debrief: Krejcikova ends wait for grand slam final appearance

It has been a long time coming for Krejcikova, who reached her first grand slam final since Roland-Garros in 2021. 

The Czech is the player with the most women’s singles grand slam main draw appearances between their first two Major finals (13, Roland-Garros 2021 and Wimbledon 2024), since Karolina Pliskova (18 between the US 2016 and then Wimbledon 2021). 

Her meeting with Paolini on Saturday will be the first women's singles final at a grand slam during the Open Era, where the two opponents previously met in a grand slam qualifier, doing so at the Australian Open 2018.

Elena Rybakina will go up against Barbora Krejcikova in the last four at Wimbledon after a convincing defeat of Elina Svitolina.

Rybakina was broken in the first game of Wednesday's quarter-final, but responded emphatically to overcome her Ukrainian opponent 6-3 6-2.

The world number four, the highest-ranked player left in the women's draw, needed just 61 minutes to complete an emphatic win.

Rybakina is now the player to have reached the joint-most WTA-level semi-finals this season, with seven, which matches Iga Swiatek's total.

Speaking after her victory, Rybakina is wary of being labelled the favourite.

She said: "Of course I have such amazing memories from 2022 and I'm just enjoying every time I step on the court, especially when I play well. It's just really amazing.

"I don't like [to be the favourite] to be honest. 

"Of course, I want to go to the end, but [I'm taking it] match by match and I'm happy with the way I'm going and looking forward to the next one."

Her next match will come against 2021 French Open champion Krejcikova, who sent world number 14 Jelena Ostapenko packing.

Krejcikova triumphed 6-4 7-6 (7-4), coming out on top in a thrilling second-set tie-break, to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon for the first time in her career.

"It's an unbelievable moment that I'm experiencing right now in my tennis career," said the Czech, who won only three Tour-level matches between February and June.

Data Debrief: Home away from home

Only Monica Seles (Australian Open 21/21 and French Open 20/21), Margaret Court (US Open 20/21, French Open 20/21 and Australian Open 20/21) and Chris Evert (RG 20/21) have won more from their first 21 matches at a single major than Rybakina at Wimbledon (19/21) during the Open Era.

Krejcikova, meanwhile, has become the player with the most singles grand slam main draw appearances between their first two major semi-finals (13) since Sloane Stephens (16 between the 2013 Australian Open and the US Open in 2017).

Elena Rybakina has reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon for a third straight year, with her progress to the last eight accelerated after opponent Anna Kalinskaya was forced to retire with an injury in the second set.

Fourth seed Rybakina was in complete control of the fourth-round match on Centre Court, leading 6-3 3-0 before Kalinskaya had to call time on the contest after 53 minutes of play, halting what had been her best career run at the tournament.

"Definitely not the way I wanted to finish the match," said Rybakina after her win.

"Anna is a great player. I know she was suffering with a couple of injuries and, if it is the wrist, it is of course very difficult to continue playing. I just wish her a speedy recovery."

Rybakina had also won the last contest between the two players – in Rome last year – due to a retirement from Kalinskaya.

With a strong grass-court record and as one of only two players seeded in the top 10 left in the women's singles tournament, Rybakina is seen as the favourite and player to beat in the second week. She will face either Elina Svitolina next.

Data Debrief: Rybakina in elite company

With a remarkable 18-2 match record at Wimbledon, Rybakina is now one of just three players in the Open Era to hold a win percentage of 90% or higher in the women’s singles.

The other two players are, like Rybakina, former Wimbledon champions: Ann Jones (12-1) and Steffi Graf (74-7).

While Rybakina thrives on grass, she has also impressed on other surfaces and she has now reached the quarter-final or better in 11 of her 12 tournaments played this season.

Aside from Rybakina, Iga Swiatek is the only other player over the past three seasons to hold a match win percentage of over 70% on all three surfaces at WTA level.

Defending champion Marketa Vondrousova crashed out of Wimbledon in the first round after Jessica Bouzas Maneiro pulled off a stunning upset.

Vondrousova was opening Tuesday's play on Centre Court against an opponent who came into the contest having never won a match at a major and with just one career win to her name at senior WTA Tour level.

But Bouzas Maneiro wrapped up a 6-4 6-2 win in just 67 minutes as the sixth seed fell at the first hurdle.

Last year Vondrousova became the only unseeded player to win the women's singles at Wimbledon in the Open Era and, at 42 in the world, was lowest-ranked winner of the title in the past four decades. 

But having struggled with a hip injury leading up to Wimbledon, her preparations for the 2024 tournament had been hampered and she struggled throughout, with Bouzas Maneiro celebrating the win of her life.

There was a much better opening round of the competition for the fourth and fifth seeds, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula.

Rybakina got up and running with a comfortable 6-3 6-1 victory over Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Court One.

The Wimbledon champion of 2022 has never lost in the first three rounds at the All England club and while she was broken in the opening game of the match, her impressive run in the early stages of the tournament never looked in danger once she had fought back to win the opening set.

Rybakina won 22 of her 24 points on first serve in the match and will face Germany's Laura Siegemund in round two.

Pegula also made a strong start, cruising past her fellow American Ashlyn Krueger.

It only took Pegula, who recently won the Berlin Ladies Open, 49 minutes to triumph 6-2 6-0 on No.2 Court. 

Pegula did not concede a single break-point opportunity in a dominant performance.

Data Debrief: Vondrousova makes unwanted history

Vondrousova is the first Wimbledon champion to crash out in the first round of the subsequent year's tournament for 30 years.

The last player to suffer that fate was seven-time Wimbledon champion Steffi Graf, who fell at the first hurdle in 1994.

Graf went on to win Wimbledon on two more occasions in 1995 and 1996, so Vondrouosva will hope she can also bounce back after a chastening afternoon.

She ended the match with 28 unforced errors and committed seven double faults, with Bouzas Maneiro a worthy winner after winning 61 total points to Vondrousova's 43.

Jasmine Paolini says she started to "dream step by step" before making it to her maiden grand slam final at Roland Garros.

The Italian saw off Mirra Andreeva in straight sets on Thursday to book a showdown against world number one Iga Swiatek as she aims to win her first major title.

Paolini has already pulled off one major upset at the tournament, knocking out Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals over three sets in impressive fashion.

No matter what happens in the final, Paolini is already assured of breaking into the top 10 in the WTA rankings on Monday and will be ranked, at minimum, number seven at the end of the tournament.

Asked if this was a moment that she imagined when she was young in training, Paolini admitted that was not the case.

"I was watching grand slam finals. I was watching the other Italians make it in the finals, and also won grand slams, but imagining that can be myself was tough," she said.

"Of course, I wished, but now it's something crazy for me. I'm really happy. Also surprised.

"I never dreamed to be number one, grand slam champion. Never dreamed so big. Never.

"Never maybe dream to be in the top 10, but I was hoping, but not really believing it. I think step by step I started to believe, but to dream for closer things.

"I think it's important to dream, but I started to dream, I think, step by step. Not too far away."

Swiatek is chasing a third consecutive French Open title and is a heavy favourite to win it going into the final.

Paolini was full of praise for the Pole but said she would not be intimidated by her opponent.

"Iga is an unbelievable player. So young, but so many achievements and grand slams. Here she won three times," she added. "She's doing well week by week, and that's not easy. So I have huge respect for her.

"My goal is to step on the court on Saturday and try to enjoy the match and to enjoy that moment and to try to play a good match and to make a good performance on the court."

Mirra Andreeva upset ailing world number two Aryna Sabalenka in three sets on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals of the French Open.

Sabalenka was bidding to reach the final four of a grand slam for a ninth time, but instead Andreeva recovered from behind 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 to reach her maiden major semi.

The 17-year-old Russian will now face Jasmine Paolini, who stunned Elena Rybakina 6-2 4-6 6-4 earlier in the day in Paris to also reach her first grand slam semi-final.

After a tense and tight opening set in which the serve was lost in four of the first five games, Sabalenka ultimately stood firm to prevail in the tie-break.

The second set followed a similar pattern as Andreeva and then Sabalenka lost serve in the opening two games, but it was the teenager who this time managed to find her footing.

Sabalenka, who was struggling with an injury throughout, did herself manage to instantly hit back after losing serve in the sixth game, only for Andreeva to break in the 10th.

That ensured the match went the distance, much to the delight of the crowd, and it was the underdog who showed nerves of steel to eliminate the much-fancied Sabalenka.

A deep backhand return from Sabalenka brought up three break points, which the Belarusian took at the first attempt to make it 3-2, but that proved a false dawn.

Andreeva broke back in the sixth, roaring with delight in doing so, and held until the 10th game when sending a backhand winner down the line for match point.

Data Debrief: Age just a number for amazing Andreeva

Andreeva, aged 17 years and 37 days, is the youngest women's singles grand slam semi-finalist since Martina Hingis in 1997 at the US Open, and the youngest at the French Open since Hingis the same year.

The Russian is also the youngest to defeat a top-two opponent in a women's singles grand slam since Jelena Dokic against Hingis at Wimbledon in 1999, and the youngest in this tournament since Monica Seles against Steffi Graf in 1990.

Elena Rybakina suffered a stunning quarter-final exit from the French Open on Wednesday, an error-strewn performance being punished by Italy's Jasmine Paolini.

World number four Rybakina had been tipped to challenge Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka for the Roland Garros crown, but she only had herself to blame as her opponent reached her first career grand slam semi-final with a 6-2 4-6 6-4 victory.

The Kazakhstani did not look right from the get-go, committing a huge 16 unforced errors to Paolini's one in the opening set, during which the Italian only lost one point on her own serve.

It was more of the same at the start of the second set as a double fault allowed Paolini to clinch an early break with a ferocious cross-court backhand. 

Rybakina did steady the ship by breaking straight back, and she seemed to be in the ascendency when she kicked on to take the second set with two further breaks.

However, errors crept back into her game in a decider that began with four straight breaks of serve. Paolini grew in confidence again, breaking again then getting through a nervy final service game, a long forehand from Rybakina on match point summing up her performance.

Data Debrief: Late bloomer Paolini savours greatest win

Paolini's victory made her just the fifth player this century to make her first grand slam quarter-final at Roland Garros while aged 28 or older, after Elena Likhovtseva (2005), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2021) and fellow Italians Francesca Schiavone (2010) and Martina Trevisan (2022).

She will face either Mirra Andreeva or Sabalenka in the last four. With Jannik Sinner also flying the flag, this year's French Open will be the first in the Open Era to feature Italian semi-finalists in both the men's and women's draws.

Elena Rybakina cruised past Elina Svitolina in just 69 minutes to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Monday.

Rybakina was hardly troubled as she reached the fifth grand slam quarter-final of her career with a 6-4 6-3 success, maintaining her record of not dropping a set at Roland Garros this year.

The world number four relied on her strong serve – winning 77 per cent of points behind her first serve – and quick movement to the net as she broke in the opening game of both sets.

Svitolina managed to break back on both occasions, only for Rybakina to find an extra gear and pull away in relative comfort, teeing up a last-eight clash with either Jasmine Paolini or Elina Avanesyan.

Data Debrief: Rybakina enjoying best year yet

Rybakina is into her ninth WTA-level quarter-final of 2024, which is already a career high for a single year and is also more than any other player on the tour this term (Iga Swiatek is second with eight).

The Kazakhstani is also just the second woman from an Asian nation to reach multiple grand slam quarter-finals on both clay and grass in the Open Era, after Kazuko Sawamatsu.

Elina Svitolina will face Elena Rybakina in a marquee fourth-round tie at the French Open after successfully moving into the second week.

The Ukrainian defeated Ana Bogdan 7-5 6-2 on Saturday to reach the last 16 for the sixth time in her career.

Both players struggled on serve, with 11 breaks in total during the match, but it was Svitolina who ultimately emerged triumphant after a back-and-forth contest and a rain delay, firing 28 winners.

Fifteenth seed Svitolina will now hope to halt the Paris charge of fourth seed Rybakina, who is yet to drop a set at the tournament so far. It will be a tough ask, but Svitolina does lead the head-to-head 2-1.

An all-American clash between Madison Keys and Emma Navarro on Court Suzanne-Lenglen was one of the other standout matches.

Navarro had never before reached the fourth round at a major, while Keys was a former semi-finalist at Roland-Garros.

But it was Navarro who claimed a hard-fought victory, getting the better of two tie-breaks to win 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) to book a huge clash against second seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Jasmine Paolini is also through to round four after seeing off former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu 6-1 3-6 6-0.

Mirra Andreeva, meanwhile, is the youngest player to reach the French Open last 16 since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006 after beating Peyton Stearns in straight sets.

The 17-year-old raced to a 6-2 6-1 win in only 67 minutes.

Sabalenka and Rybakina had earlier completed routine victories over Paula Badosa and Elise Mertens respectively.

Elena Rybakina is through to the second week at the French Open, following another straight-sets victory over Elise Mertens.

The fourth seed wrapped up a 6-4 6-2 win in 67 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier, to book a last-16 clash with either Elina Svitolina or Ana Bogdan.

Rybakina was forced to withdraw injured on the eve of her third-round showdown with Sara Sorribes Tormo at Roland-Garros 12 months ago.

A tight opening set ensued with four successive games from 2-2 going against the serve, but a crucial break to love in the 10th saw the former Wimbledon champion draw first blood. 

She then broke to 15 in game four of the second set to take control of the match, before another in the eighth saw her into the fourth round in Paris for a second time.

Rybakina is joined in the last 16 by home favourite Varvara Gracheva, who continued her groundbreaking run with a straight-sets win over Irina-Camelia Begu.

The Moscow-born 23-year-old, who obtained French nationality last June, is into round four for the first time at a major.

Extending her stay into the second week, having stunned sixth seed Maria Sakkari in the opening round, Gracheva was serenaded with Les Marseillais by the crowd following her victory on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. 

Data Debrief: Rybakina matches Swiatek and Jabeur

Rybakina becomes only the third player to reach the fourth round at multiple majors on clay and grass since the start of the 2020 season.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion joins an exclusive group of players to achieve the feat, along with Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur.

Elina Svitolina and Elena Rybakina remain on course for a French Open fourth-round showdown, after the pair enjoyed straight-sets victories in round two.

Rybakina was a 6-3 6-4 winner over Arantxa Rus in 67 minutes, while Svitolina battled past local favourite Diane Parry 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in just under two hours at Roland-Garros.

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina is still yet to drop a set at this season's clay-court major.

Her opponent was seeking another scalp at the French Open, having stunned second seed Kim Clijsters at this stage back in 2011.

However, despite a spirited display, there was to be no such fairytale for the 33-year-old Dutchwoman 13 years on, with Rybakina hitting 28 winners to 20 unforced errors on the way to victory.

The Kazakhstani is back in round three for a third straight year, though she was forced to withdraw injured before her last-32 clash with Sara Sorribes Tormo 12 months ago.

Meanwhile, Svitolina faced another tough battle, having been forced to come from behind to beat former world number one Karolina Pliskova in the opening round.

Runner-up to Coco Gauff in Auckland at the start of the year, the Ukrainian has not progressed beyond the last 16 of any event since, but just had too much for Parry on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Data Debrief: Svitolina matches Sharapova and Stosur

A four-time quarter-finalist at Roland-Garros, Svitolina is through to round three for a ninth successive appearance.

The 15th seed is the first player to do that since Maria Sharapova (13 from 2004) and Sam Stosur (10 from 2009) in 2018.