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Sabalenka beats Muchova in her WTA Finals opener

Aryna Sabalenka opened the season-ending women’s tennis tournament at Indian Wells in the United States by beating Karolina Muchova in two sets. She recovered twice from a break down in the opening set and completed victory at her second chance to serve out the match. Her next opponent is Mirra Andreeva.

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Aryna Sabalenka serves in her WTA Finals opening match at Indian Wells.

Sabalenka wins in two tight sets

Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova 7–6, 7–5 in her opening match at the WTA Finals, the women’s professional tennis tour’s season-ending tournament, at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in the United States. The Group 2 contest lasted 113 minutes. Sabalenka won the opening-set tiebreak 7–2 before completing her straight-sets victory. It was her fifth successive win in an opening match at the Finals.[1], [2]

Muchova twice broke serve to lead in the first set, moving ahead at 3–2 and again at 5–4. Sabalenka broke back immediately both times. Muchova then saved two set points to reach the tiebreak. Forehand errors in its closing stages helped Sabalenka take the set, bringing her season’s tiebreak victories to 13. Muchova had won every tiebreak she had played that season before this match.[1]

A second chance to serve out the match

Three successive service breaks in the second set left Sabalenka ahead. She served for the match at 5–4 but lost that game when a forehand went long. She broke Muchova again in the following game, then closed the match on her second opportunity to serve it out. Muchova had started with a 3–2 advantage in their previous meetings, the only winning head-to-head record against Sabalenka among this tournament’s players.[1]

Andreeva is the next opponent

Sabalenka next faces Mirra Andreeva, who defeated Elina Svitolina. This is Sabalenka’s sixth consecutive Finals appearance; her opening-win sequence began after a debut defeat by Paula Badosa in 2021. She now has 13 victories overall at the event, matching Mary Pierce’s total among players who have never won the title, and has won all 11 Finals matches in which she took the first set. Muchova was making her first appearance after qualifying in 2023 but withdrawing with a wrist injury. Sabalenka’s opening-win streak matches Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki, with Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams ahead on six each.[1]

References

  1. News sourceWTAAryna Sabalenka opens WTA Finals with win over Muchova↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceCNN BrasilAryna Sabalenka opens WTA Finals with win over Muchova↩

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