Sabalenka, Andreeva make winning starts at WTA Finals

Advertisement Sport Sabalenka, Andreeva make winning starts at WTA Finals 10 Nov 2026 08:03AM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a new cards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST INDIAN WELLS, CA, Nov 9 : World number two Aryna Sabalenka got her WTA Finals campaign off to a winning start with a hard-fought victory over Karolina Muchova, while Mirra Andreeva eased past Elina Svitolina as Group 2 action got underway on Monday. Making her sixth consecutive appearance at the season-ending tournament, Sabalenka had to work hard to overcome a determined Muchova 7-6(2) 7-5, with the Czech making her debut at the event after a breakthrough season that included titles in Doha and Bad Homburg and a run to the Wimbledon final. The Belarusian, who is seeking her first WTA Finals crown, had to dig deep in the opening set, breaking back when Muchova served for it at 5-4 before dominating the ensuing tiebreak to take the lead after almost an hour. Sabalenka appeared to have gained control in the second set with a 4-2 lead, but the Czech refused to go away, breaking back when her opponent was serving for the match to level at 5-5. CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Muchova's resistance proved short-lived, however, as Sabalenka broke again before finally serving out the contest. "She's such an incredible player. Always tough battles. I was just trying to stay calm and focus point by point. She can come back any time. You have to be focused from beginning till the end," Sabalenka said on court. "I'm super happy with the level I played. To get the first win, it's really important. Great start." In a meeting between youth and experience, French Open champion Andreeva made an impressive debut by dispatching the 2018 WTA Finals champion Svitolina 6-4 6-0. The Russian needed just one break of serve to take the opening set before raising her level considerably in the second, where she swept through all six games to complete a commanding victory. Svitolina, who beat Andreeva at the Australian Open, struggled to find answers this time around, failing to convert any of the six break points she earned. "I was trying to think about was that she beat me in Australia earlier this year. I really tried not to think about the match we had last year on these courts," Andreeva said of her 2025 Indian Wells win over Svitolina. "I remember how I was playing when I beat her here, but I knew it would be a tricky match. She's an amazing player. I'm just very happy I was able to get through the match." Source: Reuters Newsletter Recommended Read Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day. Sign up for our newsletters Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox Subscribe here Get the CNA app Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories Download here Get WhatsApp alerts Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app Join here Advertisement Also worth reading Content is loading... Advertisement Expand to read the full story Get bite-sized news via a new cards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST