INDIAN WELLS : World number two Aryna Sabalenka began her WTA Finals campaign with a hard-fought victory over Karolina Muchova, while French Open champion Mirra Andreeva cruised past Elina Svitolina as Group 2 action got underway on Monday.
Making her sixth consecutive appearance at the season-ending tournament, Sabalenka battled past debutant Muchova 7-6(2) 7-5 in a closely contested encounter.
The Czech arrived after an impressive season that included titles in Doha and Bad Homburg and a run to the Wimbledon final, but Sabalenka proved too strong in the crucial moments.
The Belarusian, who is chasing her maiden WTA Finals title, had to recover after Muchova served for the opening set at 5-4. Sabalenka broke back before dominating the tiebreak to take the lead after nearly an hour.
Sabalenka looked in control in the second set after moving 4-2 ahead, but Muchova fought back to break while her opponent was serving for the match and level at 5-5.
The Czech’s resistance was short-lived, however, as Sabalenka broke again before serving out the match.
“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 the other Group 2 match, Andreeva marked her debut at the season-ending tournament with an emphatic 6-4 6-0 victory over 2018 champion Svitolina.
The Russian needed just one break to secure the opening set before stepping up her game in the second, winning all six games to complete a dominant performance.
Svitolina, who had beaten Andreeva at the Australian Open earlier this year, struggled to make an impact and failed 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, referring to her 2025 Indian Wells victory 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.”
