As round-robin action at the season-ending WTA Finals got underway on Monday, world number seven Aryna Sabalenka came back to defeat second-ranked Ons Jabeur after falling behind a set.
At Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, Sabalenka defeated the Tunisian, a finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open this year, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), and 7-5 after overcoming an error-filled opening.
“I think it’s the biggest win of the season for me,” said Sabalenka, who was a semi-finalist in the WTA’s season finale last year but has endured a disappointing 2022 campaign.
“She played unbelievable and somehow another miracle happened for me and I was able to win this match.”
Sabalenka had to put in a lot of work to improve to 3-1 over Jabeur.
In the second set tiebreaker, Jabeur, who was competing in her first WTA Finals, was only two points away from winning. In the third set, she had two chances to break for a 5-2 advantage.
Jabeur netted a forehand on the first match point, but Sabalenka held on, breaking him at love to tie the set at 4-4 and winning.
“I didn’t feel welcome on this court,” Sabalenka said of her early struggles. “I couldn’t understand what was happening, the ball was bouncing too slow for me.
“Then in the second set I kind of calmed down and tried to think what I had to do to win this match.”
In the other Nancy Richey Group match, fifth-ranked Maria Sakkari of Greece defeated third-ranked American Jessica Pegula 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4) in an effort to improve on a semi-final showing in the competition last year.
Pegula and Sakkari traded six service breaks in the first set of their rematch of the WTA Guadalajara final, which Pegula had won eight days earlier. Pegula twice recovered a break before Sakkari won it in the tiebreaker.
After pocketing the first, Sakkari raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set before Pegula, who survived match points to win three times this season, broke back to trim the deficit to 3-2.
Pegula saved a pair of match points against her serve in the 12th game to force the tiebreaker, the second with a stinging backhand winner.
But Sakkari sealed it on her third opportunity when Pegula’s effort found the net.
“It’s never easy against Jess,” said Sakkari, who improved to 4-2 against the American.
“She’s an amazing player. She’s very confident right now. I knew it was going to be extremely tough but I fought hard and trusted my game.”
Sakkari said she knew from prior encounters with Pegula she had to be aggressive.
“If you’re passive, Jess is just going to make you run. She’s going to hit the ball very hard, and it’s over,” Sakkari said.
