As Elena Rybakina trailed Zheng Qinwen by a set and a break in their tight group-stage tussle at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Monday, the odds were not in her favour. Still, she fought hard, retrieved the break and as her confidence grew, her own serve, one of the most destructive weapons in the sport, fell into place. Rybakina rolled through four successive games to force a final set.
That sequence of play from Rybakina was a reminder of the high level she has produced to establish herself as one of the leading players on the WTA tour, but this time it was fleeting. She was visibly fatigued in the final set as Zheng regained control and secured her first win at the WTA Finals, closing out the match 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-1.
