WTA Finals | Aryna Sabalenka prevails in tough three set battle with Amanda Anisimova, set to face Elena Rybakina for title

It will be a rivalry renewed tomorrow for Aryna Sabalenka as the World No.1 who ended the season as the imperious queen of the sport could scoop the end prize in the form of the WTA Finals when she takes on Elena Rybakina on Saturday.

Sabalenka went into the match 6-4 down on the Head-to-Head against Amanda Anisimova, a player who has always been an achilles heel for the World No.1 and looked to be so again as she went into the final set full of impetus at the WTA Finals.

Anisimova was widely tipped before the tournament began by outside quarters to seal the title even this week despite losing in two Grand Slam finals with of course Caroline Garcia, Elina Svitolina among others previously winning the event showing the strength of a one week shootout.

But Sabalenka stays unbeaten in Riyadh and given she ended the season as the World No.1, she now faces perhaps the best player in the past month or so in Elena Rybakina who won in Ningbo before withdrawing from the semi-finals in Tokyo to claim her spot in the tennis elite.

She has taken her chance and saw off Jessica Pegula earlier today for that spot. She now faces Sabalenka who took down Anisimova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the semi-finals.

It was a very back and forth start between the pair underlined also by Anisimova getting frustrated at missing chances for 15-15 at 2-1. She then powered a backhand down the line. Sabalenka double faulted but rescued break point with an ace. Sabalenka saved another break chance and a big serve out wide saw her make it 2-2.

Four games took around 30 minutes with a huge amount of break points saved early doors by both. Anisimova who dropped the first set in all three of her games this week let a 40-15 lead slip to deuce albeit despite making it hard for herself, she weathered until she couldn't steer a forehand down the line and it allowed Sabalenka to break and then hold for 4-2.

New balls were in play and Sabalenka slipped at 30-0 up, she finally got through the frustration though as she set up a winner down the line and was suddenly one game away from taking the set. Anisimova was muttering to herself that she needed to change something and it wouldn't be that set as Sabalenka managed to slip through after early Anisimova dominance on her serve.

Anisimova was immediately in the game though with a stretching forehand that clipped the baseline. This threw Sabalenka off and she broke for 1-0 before recovering her serve accuracy to sweep into a 2-0 lead. A double break was called as she won nine points in a row during her run towards 3-0. Spin heavy returns saw Sabalenka go for a specific line but she couldn't find it.

Anisimova was set to offer Sabalenka some crumbs though as she started to make errors despite going 4-0 up. A mishit return allowed Sabalenka back into it and she finally took a game but this revival at least in this set was shortlived as Anisimova finally took the second 6-3 as she saw her opponent go long off balance to claim it 6-3.

Anisimova was very much in the ascendancy and swept into a 2-1 lead. She went 3-2 up but the decisive break then came as Sabalenka made it 4-3 as they exchanged service holds but a a crunching ace and a flick of a wrist saw her send a backhand winner down the line that made it 4-3. Anisimova wasn't lying down though but was running out of time and road as Sabalenka held for 5-3 and with the match going away, Sabalenka found her best tennis again to send Anisimova needing magic and she couldn't find it and Sabalenka won through to set up the tie with Rybakina.