WTA Finals Day 2 Preview: Gauff and Sabalenka Take Center Stage
The Stefanie Graf Group kicks off at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, featuring World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka versus No. 8 Jasmine Paolini, and defending champion Coco Gauff facing fellow American Jessica Pegula.
On Day 1, singles action took place in the Serena Williams Group, while doubles competed in the Martina Navratilova Group. Sunday shifts to the Stefanie Graf Group in singles and the Liezel Huber Group in doubles. Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka both begin their opening matches, with Jasmine Paolini starting her singles campaign after playing doubles with Sara Errani on Saturday.
Match Schedule and Details
- All match times are local to Riyadh.
- Dabrowski and Routliffe had a successful North American hard-court season, winning Cincinnati and the US Open.
- They lost their only match this season against Andreeva and Shnaider on clay in Rome, with the quarterfinal going to a tight third set at 11-9.
Sabalenka vs. Paolini Head-to-Head
Record: Sabalenka leads 5-2
"Do we really need to make a case for Sabalenka? She is two months removed from her second consecutive US Open title, holds the world No. 1 spot for a year, and is arguably the best hard-court player on tour."
Sabalenka has won her last four matches against Paolini, including a 6-3, 7-5 victory at this tournament last year.
Summary
The second day of the WTA Finals spotlights top contenders Sabalenka and Gauff starting their campaigns, with intense matches expected in both singles and doubles as the tournament shifts focus to new groups.
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