Djokovic secures year-end No. 1 ranking for record-extending 8th time by beating Rune at ATP Finals

Djokovic secures year-end No. 1 ranking for record-extending 8th time by beating Rune at ATP Finals
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning the first round-robin match against Denmark's Holger Rune at the ATP Finals tennis tournament in Turin on Sunday. (AFP)
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Updated 13 November 2023
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Djokovic secures year-end No. 1 ranking for record-extending 8th time by beating Rune at ATP Finals

Djokovic secures year-end No. 1 ranking for record-extending 8th time by beating Rune at ATP Finals
  • Djokovic: It was a very emotional and tough win because of the significance of tonight’s match
  • After this tournament, Djokovic will become the first player to hold No. 1 for 400 weeks, with Roger Federer at 310 the only other man to eclipse the 300-week mark

TURIN, Italy: Novak Djokovic has secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time.

Djokovic needed only one match win at the ATP Finals to be sure of keeping the top spot and the 24-time Grand Slam champion did it in his opener, beating Holger Rune 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 6-3 over more than three hours on Sunday and into Monday morning.

“It was a very emotional and tough win because of the significance of tonight’s match,” Djokovic said. “That was added pressure, and attention.”

“It means a lot,” Djokovic added. “You could see there was a lot of emotions on the court. I could feel it. I was very eager to win tonight’s match and get that monkey off my back.”

The 36-year-old Djokovic had already moved ahead of previous record holder Pete Sampras (six years at No. 1) two years ago.

Carlos Alcaraz took the honors last year.

After this tournament, Djokovic will become the first player to hold No. 1 for 400 weeks, with Roger Federer at 310 the only other man to eclipse the 300-week mark.

If Djokovic raises the trophy next weekend, he’ll break a tie with Federer and capture a record seventh title at the finals.

“A big goal is achieved; everything else now is a bonus,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic has won 19 straight matches stretching back to his five-set loss to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in July.

Earlier in the same group, Jannik Sinner beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4.

Djokovic ended a close first set with a blazing forehand return winner — then flexed his right biceps and held the pose for a few moments before unleashing an authoritative fist pump.

The 20-year-old Rune was making his debut at the season-ending tournament for the year’s top eight players and pushed Djokovic to a deciding set for a fourth straight time in five career meetings.

Djokovic also beat Rune in three tight sets at the Paris Masters this month.

After Djokovic gave up an early break in the third, he broke two rackets with his foot before sitting down for the changeover. But he quickly regained his composure — and the lead — before finishing the match off shortly after midnight.

SINNER’S SERENADE

“Olé, Olé, Olé Olé, Sin-ner, Sin-ner.”

The way the crowd serenaded Sinner after his brisk win over Tsitsipas in the opening match of the tournament made it sound like a soccer stadium inside the Turin arena.

Before the Italian could respond during an on-court interview, fans started singing his name so loudly that all he could do was step back, smile and say, “Grazie.”

“The feeling is this,” Sinner said. “Kind of a football stadium. Also with the roof closed, it’s a little bit louder. It’s nice. It means that the people, they really care about me.”

Under an enormous spotlight as the poster boy for the tournament, Sinner didn’t show any nerves at the season-ending event for the year’s top eight players.

Supported by chants of “Vai Jannik” (“Go Jannik”) and signs that read “Facci Sognare” (“Let us dream”), Sinner gave the fans just what they came for with his blistering baseline shots and strong serve.

The 22-year-old Sinner is finishing up a year in which he has claimed four titles including his first Masters 1000 trophy and is up to a career-high No. 4 in the rankings — the first Italian that high since Adriano Panatta nearly a half-century ago.

Sinner even showed off some of his newfound touch when he produced a backhand topspin lob winner while on the run early in the second set.

Then on his first match point, Sinner spun an ace out wide on the deuce court to finish the match off in 1 hour, 25 minutes.

It was Sinner’s tour-leading 14th win indoors this year — against just one loss.

“The match went really, really well and the crowd support was crazy,” Sinner said. “It’s not just about improvement, it’s about destinations and the destination I wanted to reach this year was to be here.”

Sinner served nine aces to Tsitsipas’ six amid fast conditions inside the Pala Alpitour and didn’t face a single break point.

“He definitely has improved his serve, and he showed it today,” Tsitsipas said. “There wasn’t much I could do. I was trying to guess sometimes. He serves really close to the lines, to the corners. ... I’m not the Elastigirl from the superheroes to be behind these balls.”

Tsitsipas, the 2019 champion, had cut short a practice session on Friday due to an apparent physical issue but he said he was “absolutely fine.”

Matches in the other group on Monday feature Carlos Alcaraz vs. Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev vs. Andrey Rublev.

The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.


Gauff defeats Swiatek to reach the semifinals at the WTA Finals. Sabalenka is assured of No. 1

Gauff defeats Swiatek to reach the semifinals at the WTA Finals. Sabalenka is assured of No. 1
Updated 05 November 2024
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Gauff defeats Swiatek to reach the semifinals at the WTA Finals. Sabalenka is assured of No. 1

Gauff defeats Swiatek to reach the semifinals at the WTA Finals. Sabalenka is assured of No. 1
  • The result means that Swiatek can’t move up from No. 2 in the rankings this week, so Aryna Sabalenka will finish the year at No. 1 for the first time
  • It was Gauff’s first victory over Swiatek since the 2023 Cincinnati Open, snapping a four-match losing skid head-to-head

RIYADH: Coco Gauff earned her second victory over Iga Swiatek in 13 career matchups, winning 6-3, 6-4 at the WTA Finals on Tuesday to reach the semifinals of the season-ending tournament.
The result means that Swiatek can’t move up from No. 2 in the rankings this week, so Aryna Sabalenka will finish the year at No. 1 for the first time.
It was Gauff’s first victory over Swiatek since the 2023 Cincinnati Open, snapping a four-match losing skid head-to-head. Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, also put an end to five-time Grand Slam champ Swiatek’s six-match unbeaten run at the WTA Finals, an event the Polish star won a year ago.
The win moved Gauff to 2-0 in the Orange Group, while Swiatek fell to 1-1. Swiatek had rallied to beat Barbora Krejcikova in three sets on Sunday in her first match in two months.
Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion, kept her chances of advancing alive with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Jessica Pegula. That eliminated Pegula, who lost in straight sets to Gauff in their opening match in Saudi Arabia.
Krejcikova was the last player to qualify for the event for the top eight players on the women’s tennis tour, earning her berth thanks to her Grand Slam title at the All England Club in July. At No. 13, she became the lowest-ranked player to win a WTA Finals match since Magda Maleeva 22 years ago.


Krejcikova ends Pegula’s last-four hopes at WTA Finals

Krejcikova ends Pegula’s last-four hopes at WTA Finals
Updated 05 November 2024
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Krejcikova ends Pegula’s last-four hopes at WTA Finals

Krejcikova ends Pegula’s last-four hopes at WTA Finals
  • The crafty Czech fired 11 aces and broke Pegula four times to wrap up the win in 69 minutes

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Barbora Krejcikova ended Jessica Pegula’s chances of qualifying for the semifinals at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, defeating the sixth-seeded American 6-3, 6-3 in Riyadh on Tuesday.
A runner-up at the WTA Finals last year, Pegula suffered her second straight-sets defeat of the week and enters her final round-robin match against Iga Swiatek on Thursday anchoring the Orange Group with zero sets won.
Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Krejcikova bounced back from her opening loss to Swiatek to keep her hopes of making the final four alive.
“I was fighting for every ball and I felt that I really have to play my best tennis and I was trying to be really solid and trying to put as many balls to the other side as I could,” said Krejcikova, who picked up just her 20th match win of the season.
“I’m definitely proud. I had some very high parts of the season, especially winning Wimbledon, that’s something indescribable. And being here in the Finals is a huge privilege. It’s nice to get the win and still be part of the event.”
Despite being ranked number 13 in the world, Krejcikova qualified for these WTA Finals thanks to a new rule introduced by the WTA that gave priority to a player who has won a Grand Slam this season, while maintaining a ranking between 9 and 20, over a player ranked number eight in the Race.
As the reigning Wimbledon champion, Krejcikova claimed the final qualifying spot in Riyadh over world number eight Emma Navarro.
Krejcikova squandered a 6-4, 3-0 lead against Swiatek in her opener two days ago and made sure there was no repeat scenario against Pegula on Tuesday.
The crafty Czech fired 11 aces and broke Pegula four times to wrap up the win in 69 minutes.


Sabalenka beats Paolini in straight sets to reach last four of WTA Finals

Sabalenka beats Paolini in straight sets to reach last four of WTA Finals
Updated 05 November 2024
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Sabalenka beats Paolini in straight sets to reach last four of WTA Finals

Sabalenka beats Paolini in straight sets to reach last four of WTA Finals
  • Top-ranked Sabalenka cruised in the first set after building a 4-0 lead, then saved two set points in the second to advance at the year-ending tournament
  • Sabalenka has won 22 of her last 23 matches, and three of the last four tournaments in which she played

RIYADH: 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.
The top-ranked Sabalenka cruised in the first set after building a 4-0 lead, then saved two set points in the second to advance at the year-ending tournament for the top eight ranked players.
Sabalenka will face already eliminated Elena Rybakina on Wednesday in the final group match of the week.
Sabalenka has won 22 of her last 23 matches, and three of the last four tournaments in which she played.
Another round-robin win will secure her the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career.
In the other Purple Group match, Zheng Qinwen defeated Rybakina 7-6 (4) 3-6, 6-1 to maintain chances of advancing.
It was Zheng’s first career win over Rybakina in three tries.
Rybakina sits at 0-2 and can’t advance to the semifinals. She lost to Paolini on Saturday, while Sabalenka eased to a straight-set victory over Zheng in the opening match in Saudi Arabia.
Zheng and Paolini will play each other on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to her first WTA Finals semifinal to face the winner of the Orange Group.


China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals

China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals
Updated 04 November 2024
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China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals

China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals
  • Zheng rebounded from her opening round-robin defeat by Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina

RIYADH: Zheng Qinwen improved her chances of advancing to the semifinals at the WTA Finals with a 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 5 Elena Rybakina in Riyadh on Monday.

The seventh-seeded Zheng rebounded from her opening round-robin defeat by Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina.

Meanwhile, Rybakina suffered a second defeat in as many matches this week in Saudi Arabia and is facing elimination, with one more round-robin clash to go against Sabalenka on Wednesday.

During her on-court interview, Zheng apologized to the Chinese fans in the stands for “losing control” of her emotions at one point during the match, admitting she was “harsh” in her reaction to them, and thanked them for their support.

“I’m really happy to have won this match because I never beat her before and she’s one of the greatest players right now on tour, huge serve and great groundstrokes,” said Zheng.

“I didn’t take my chances in the second set but I was able to come back in the third and I stayed focused.

“I had to stay really focused on my service games, because here, both of us are destroying our serves, it’s really tough to return.”

Zheng arrives in Riyadh on the back of an impressive second half of the season that saw her win titles in Palermo and Tokyo, and an Olympic gold medal in singles in Paris. No woman has won more matches than her within that span.

The first Chinese player to qualify for the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013, Zheng amassed a 12-2 win-loss record during the Asian swing last month and is the tour leader in most aces struck and percentage of first-serve points won.

Rybakina’s second part of 2024 could not have been more different.

The Kazakh had played just two matches between Wimbledon and the WTA Finals as she struggled with allergies, insomnia, and a back injury.

After saving a pair of break points on her own serve in the third game, Zheng made her move, breaking Rybakina en route to a 4-1 advantage.

Rybakina wiped out her deficit, attacking Zheng’s second serve, and was soon on level terms at 4-4.

The set fittingly went to a tie-break which Zheng sealed on a long forehand from Rybakina on the 58-minute mark.

In a pattern similar to the opening set, Zheng carved out a lead in the second frame, only for Rybakina to strike back and even the score. This time though, the big-hitter took four games in a row to claim the second set and force a decider.

Zheng shook off early trouble on her serve in the final set before surging ahead 4-1. It was the boost she needed to wrap up the win — the ninth of her career against a top-10 opponent.


Sporting superstars attend opening of WTA Finals

Sporting superstars attend opening of WTA Finals
Updated 04 November 2024
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Sporting superstars attend opening of WTA Finals

Sporting superstars attend opening of WTA Finals
  • Al-Hilal star Neymar performs official coin toss on first day of the tournament
  • Arab tennis icon Ons Jabeur meets with fans

RIYADH: The stars of world sport came together for the opening day of the Women’s Tennis Association Finals in Riyadh on Saturday, adding excitement to this groundbreaking event.

Brazilian footballer Neymar carried out the official coin toss — which determines who serves first — ahead of the Paolini vs. Rybakina match. Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur also attended the opening ceremony alongside Saudi Tennis Federation President Arij Mutabagani and WTA Finals Tournament Director Garbine Muguruza.

Afterwards, Jabeur engaged with fans in the tournament fan village and took part in a Q&A session on stage, signing autographs and sharing her journey.

The fan zone also welcomed stars from the Ladies European Tour, who competed in the Aramco Team Series earlier in the week at Riyadh Golf Club, including golfers Anne Van Dam, Olivia Cowan and Marianne Skarpnord.

Monday’s play sees Elena Rybakina take on Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, followed by world number one Aryna Sabalenka facing Jasmine Paolini.

The season-ending finals, which take place until Nov. 9, mark the first WTA tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia. They feature the world’s top eight female singles players and doubles pairings who are competing for the top spot in the PIF WTA World Rankings for the 2024 season.