Top seed Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her WTA Finals campaign with a dominant 6-3 6-1 win over Jasmine Paolini, while defending champion Coco Gauff struggled with double faults as Jessica Pegula beat her 6-3 6-7(4) 6-2 in Riyadh.
Sabalenka, who won the US Open this year, landed 11 aces and frustrated Paolini with powerful returns near the sidelines, with the Italian growing tired as the match progressed.
