(Reuters) -World number one Aryna Sabalenka secured a semi-final berth at the WTA Finals by beating Italian fourth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-3 7-5 on Monday to stay unbeaten in the purple round-robin group.

Aryna Sabalenka is the first player to secure a semi-final spot at the WTA Finals but her victory over Jasmine Paolini spells the end of the road for Elena Rybakina.

In her most recent match on September 30, 2024, Sabalenka won 6-2, 6-2 against Ashlyn Krueger in the Round of 32 of the China Open. In her last match, which was slated for August 29, 2024 at the US Open, Rybakina was eliminated against Jessika Ponchet via walkover.

The world’s best players were in Cancun for the year-ending WTA Tour Finals, which terrible weather conditions and a hastily constructed venue turned into a circus. Sabalenka said on social media that she felt “disrespected” by the standard of the event, which included practice courts that didn’t feel safe to play on.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka commenced her WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh on Saturday with a fifth victory in as many meetings against Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China, racing to a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

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Aryna Sabalenka (No. 1) will take on fellow top-10 resident Jasmine Paolini (No. 4) in the Round Robin at the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara on Monday, November 4.Sabalenka’s last match was a

Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals of the WTA Finals with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Jasmine Paolini on Monday for a second straight victory in the group stage.

Aryna Sabalenka withstands Jasmine Paolini fight-back to seal WTA Finals progress - The World No 1 is through to the last four after a a 6-3 7-5 victory