WTA Finals: Sabalenka v Rybakina suspended due to rain, play to resume Friday
The final match of the Bacalar Group at the WTA Finals between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina has been suspended due to rain, with play to resume on Friday
Aryna Sabalenka WTA Finals 2023 Zuma/Panoramic
The final singles match between world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Kazakh Elena Rybakina in the Bacalar Group at the WTA Finals has been suspended and will be completed on Friday, with Sabalenka ahead 6-2, 3-5.
With the suspension of this match, players will also have to wait another day to discover who advances from the Bacalar Group to the semi-finals on Saturday. America’s Jessica Pegula has already claimed the top spot with her 3-0 record across group play, but the second qualifying position remains up for grabs, with the winner of Sabalenka v Rybakina booking their spot.
Match hangs in the balance as Rybakina comeback halted by rain
For large periods of the clash, Sabalenka dominated. The world No 1 was unbothered on serve across the opening set, while she found a way to break Rybakina on two occasions.
However, early in the second set Rybakina signalled her intent to not go away without a fight, contesting her first break point on Sabalenka’s serve. The Belarusian repelled it, but was unable to do so again in the eighth game of the set, where four consecutive errors saw Sabalenka fall behind 3-5.
With Rybakina on the brink of serving out the second set and forcing a decider, rain interrupted play for the umpteenth time. With the clock close to midnight, the chair umpire called it, forcing both players to return tomorrow to determine who advances from the Bacalar Group.
