BEIJING, Jan 5, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Top seed Aryna Sabalenka cruised past
China’s Wang Yafan Saturday to reach the finals of the Shenzhen Open.
Sabalenka beat Wang 6-2, 6-1 after the Belarusian’s ultra-aggressive tennis
earned her an early break.
Wang had to call for a medical timeout early in the second set to attend to
her left thigh, and struggled during the game that lasted just over an hour.
“Of course I’m so happy with this performance. I would like to say it was
not an easy match, because she (Wang) was always trying to get back into the
game, even when she was down 0-5,” Sabalenka said after her win.
The world number 13 will meet American Alison Riske at the finals that will
be played this afternoon 2 p.m. Beijing time (0600 GMT)
Riske — a two time previous finalist — beat Russia’s Vera Zvonareva 6-0,
1-0 in the other semi-final.
Sabalenka — who capped off a breakthrough season last year with titles at
Wuhan and New Haven — made it to the semi-finals after former world number
one Maria Sharapova abandoned her quarter-final tie on Friday after
struggling with a thigh injury.