Aryna Sabalenka is known for many things. Chief among them her unmatched power, championship pedigree, and of course, her fiery on-court persona.
WTA Finals: Scores | Draws | Order of play
All three were on display Tuesday at the WTA Finals, where the world No. 1 bottled her emotions on multiple occasions throughout the match before unleashing them in a fury to power through a three-set victory over Jessica Pegula.
Sabalenka rallied from a break down in the third set, fending off yet another all-out blitz from Pegula to win 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in just over two hours at King Saud University Indoor Arena. The win allows her to remain unbeaten in Riyadh and moves her one step closer to the semifinals.
It was Sabalenka’s ninth win in 12 meetings against the American, though that doesn’t tell the full story, as the rivalry has grown increasingly competitive as of late. Each of their last three matches has gone the distance.
More to come…