WTA Finals: Sabalenka topples Sakkari to make winning start; Gauff-Pegula lose in women’s doubles

Cancun (Mexico) World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus eased past No.8 seed Greek Maria Sakkari to win her round-robin opener at the WTA Finals. In the 10th meeting between the familiar rivals, Sabalenka needed 74 minutes to win 6-0, 6-1.

Sabalenka came into the match with a 6-3 advantage in the head-to-head, including a 2-0 record this season. But Sakkari owned a 2-0 record against Sabalenka at the WTA Finals, having notched victories in Guadalajara and Fort Worth, WTA reports.

A runner-up last year, Sabalenka has a chance to become the first player to make back-to-back finals at the year-end championships since Serena Williams in 2013 and 2014. She is also working to hold off Iga Swiatek and finish the year as the 16th WTA year-end No.1.

In the women’s doubles, No.1 seeds Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula suffered loss at the hands of Reigning US Open champions Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe 6-7(2), 3-6 in group play.

Dabrowski and Routliffe are at the top of the Mahahual Group with a 1-0 record, while Gauff and Pegula begin 0-1. The other teams in the Mahahual Group are No.4 seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova and No.6 seeds Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva.

Earlier on Sunday, No.3 seeds pair Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara of Japan got the WTA Finals underway by defeating No.5 seeds Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs 7-5, 6-2.

In the opening match of the 2023 season-ending championships, it was the all-Japanese pair, who prevailed in 1 hour and 36 minutes. Aoyama and Shibahara saved 10 of 12 break points in the doubles showdown.

Aoyama and Shibahara begin the round-robin with an early 1-0 lead in the Maya Ka’an Group, while Krawczyk and Schuurs start 0-1. Also in the Maya Ka’an Group are No.2 seeds Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens and No.8 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez.

–IANS