Insights from Riyadh 👀 The fast indoor conditions will benefit flat servers like Zheng Qinwen, who was hitting bombs today against Iga. She'll face Sabalenka in the opening group play singles match this Saturday 11/2, available to stream on Tennis Channel 📺 #WTAFinalsRiyadh
WTA Finals Riyadh 2024 Day 1 Preview & Schedule: Purple Group begins featuring Sabalenka v Qinwen Zheng and Paolini v Rybakina
WTASaturday, 02 November 2024 at 09:33
The eight best players in the world, the first trip to Riyadh and the Purple Group to start it off which is the toughest of all. The WTA Finals are here and we have your preview ahead of Day One in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Four of the top players on the tour this season at different junctures highlight a group which in reality any of them can win. Aryna Sabalenka, Qinwen Zheng, Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina all star.
It really is the group to watch and the schedule is confirmed for the opening day with the first two ties given a lowdown including Head to Head and their respective form and strengths and weaknesses.
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Aryna Sabalenka v Qinwen Zheng - form or Head to Head record holds the key?
The first match of this year's WTA Finals is perhaps the game of the opening weekend in terms of form wise and both being perhaps seen as favourites in Riyadh.
Sabalenka in particular will be as top seed and World No.1. But count out Qinwen Zheng at your peril. Amid others having a break before the end of the season, the Chinese ace has continued to grind out results and has only lost four times since Wimbledon admittedly most of those have been against Sabalenka.
But from being in with an outside shout to playing in Riyadh suddenly, Qinwen Zheng has taken a deserved spot in the line-up and will hope to turn the tide. Sabalenka routed Zheng in their first three meetings. But it has got a lot harder and the tipping point is likely.
Sabalenka defeated her 6-1, 6-2 in the Quarter-Finals of the US Open back in September. But on home soil, it was a three setter in Wuhan as Qinwen drew on her home support in an attempt to will her home. It was 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in favour of Sabalenka who produced the serving goods down the stretch.
But the courts are a lot faster in Riyadh which could favour a more nimbler player like Qinwen over the power based game of Sabalenka and perhaps also goes for the second game between Rybakina and Paolini.
Qinwen comes into the tie leading the tour in aces this season and leads the field in first serve points won with 75.9 percent. If she can unlock that, it will provide the tonic but if not it could be a pretty simple assignment for the World No.1.
Jasmine Paolini v Elena Rybakina - the return of the Kazakh. Back to her best or work to do?
For most of this season, Jasmine Paolini has been the surprise package and perhaps not talked up as much as she should be and that suits her down to the ground. She has produced some of her best tennis in 2024 and has reached two Grand Slam finals.
Ironically as her first opponent started to go off the boil in terms of illness and injury and Rybakina's spot in the defacto mix was taken by Paolini who joined Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff and Pegula as the leading lights on the tour.
But Rybakina unlike others really has the knack to turn it on when she needs to and often can return having been ill or injured and produce and it is often an off colour display or her very best. So there is no in between.
Elena Rybakina finally makes her return with a new coach incoming and a feel good feeling.
In Riyadh with her sister Anna and the rest of the team, it was the usual shy but poised demeanour for Rybakina as she sticks more to the task at hand as opposed to her rivals who get fully stuck in to playing in the WTA Finals with all of its added extras.
But not knowing what Rybakina will turn up is dangerous including for Paolini. She spent most of the early season sweeping players off the court. She hasn't played though since the US Open opting to rest her body after also dispensing with coach Stefano Vukov.
As one door closes though, another opens. While he won't be there in Riyadh and won't be giving her instructions until the end of the year, Goran Ivanisevic joining the Rybakina camp is a welcome boost. She gets a coach for the first time with prior success but also room to grow. Often Ivanisevic has worked with players at the end of their careers or at their peak already such as Tomas Berdych or Novak Djokovic.
But in Rybakina, she is a player still to reach her peak and she has shown flashes of that and the talent to grow. So on paper while not seen yet, it should be a match made in heaven.
Is the Paolini match-up though? They have played two three-setters on clay earlier this spring splitting the ties. Paolini's baseline game sees her showing off grit and staying in points till the bitter end. While Rybakina is first strike radar tennis with a bullet serve.
Paolini herself said the issue is returning the serve. But it could also be the amount of matches she has played. While she had her summer excellence, it hasn't been as easy since. But also she plays doubles too with Sara Errani which always acts as a welcome extra. But as Pegula and Gauff have seen in the past, it can provide a hindrance. Not in the first match but going forward. A first WTA FInals for both Qinwen Zheng and also Jasmine Paolini. How they handle their first ties against experienced campaigners in these events is a mystery but one that certainly is a must watch decipher on Saturday.
Schedule - Day One
2024 WTA Finals (11-02)
Center Court
| Group Stage - 11/2 - 11:00 AM EDT | |
 7Zheng Qinwen |
|
 1Aryna Sabalenka |
|
| Group Stage - 11/2 - 12:30 PM EDT | |
 5Elena Rybakina |
|
 4Jasmine Paolini |
|
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