Aryna Sabalenka reveals the ‘advantage’ she had over Zheng Qinwen after defeating her at the WTA Finals

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Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her WTA Finals campaign with her fourth win over Zheng Qinwen this year.

Aryna Sabalenka began her bid for the year-end number one ranking with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 win over China’s Zheng Qinwen in her opening round-robin match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Saturday.

The Australian and U.S. Open champion, who headlines the first professional women’s tournament in Saudi Arabia, proved too powerful for Zheng in key moments of their fourth matchup this year.

In what was a rematch of their Melbourne and Wuhan finals this year, Sabalenka secured the first set with a break in the sixth game and held her lead firmly.

Despite a double fault on match point, Sabalenka sealed the win when Zheng sent a forehand long.

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Aryna Sabalenka highlights ‘advantage’ over Qinwen Zheng

Olympic champion Zheng led four times in a tight second set, but the Belarusian broke through with a forehand winner to decisively clinch the opener.

Despite the narrative being focussed entirely on whether Sabalenka will be able to cling on to the number one spot, Zheng is arguably the most in-form player other than herself.

“I’m super happy with the win, especially against Qinwen. 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,” she told the WTA.

Pinpointing exactly where she still thinks she has the upper-hand, Sabalenka said: “I think my mental strength – that’s the advantage over her so far.”

With the other debutant besides Zheng, Jasmine Paolini next, Sabalenka can effectively secure her path out of the group stages with another win.

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What is Aryna Sabalenka’s record like against Jasmine Paolini?

Sabalenka and Paolini are evenly matched in their head-to-head record, with two wins each.

Their most recent encounter was in Beijing last year, where Sabalenka secured a straight-sets victory 6-4, 7-6.

Heading into their next matchup, Paolini comes off a hard-fought win over the returning Elena Rybakina, who has just joined forces with Goran Ivanisevic.

However, Sabalenka’s current form and aggression will give her the edge in this rivalry.

With momentum on her side, Sabalenka will look to take control early and extend her winning streak against Paolini.