WTA

Aryna Sabalenka became the first player to secure a semi-final spot at the WTA Finals as she defeated a resilient Jasmine Paolini in straight sets. Top seed Sabalenka won 6-3 7-5 in a victory that also confirmed Elena Rybakina’s elimination from the season-ending tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Earlier on Monday, Kazakhstan’s Rybakina was beaten 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-1 by Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen for her second defeat at the Finals, and required a Paolini victory to keep her hopes alive. But a gritty win over the Italian – which saw her save two set points – put Sabalenka one…