WTA Finals: Badosa blitzes top seed Sabalenka in opener

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Guadalajara (Mexico), November 12: Paula Badosa showed her form is no fluke after upstaging top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 6-0 at the WTA Finals.

Badosa conquered Belarusian star Sabalenka en route to the Western & Southern Open quarter-finals in August.

The Indian Wells champion repeated the feat again on Thursday, blitzing the top seed in her WTA Finals opener in Mexico.

Spanish seventh seed Badosa played lights-out tennis in Guadalajara, where she powered past Sabalenka after a tricky start to the opening set.

Badosa – a French Open quarter-finalist – found herself down 4-2 before reeling off four consecutive games to clinch the first set at the year-ending championship.

In the Group Chichen Itza matchup, Badosa continued where she left off in the second half, winning 10 straight games in total in an irresistible performance to hand Sabalenka a bagel.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Badosa – 14/19 Sabalenka – 15/31

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Badosa – 5/4 Sabalenka – 4/7

BREAK POINTS WON

Badosa – 5/5 Sabalenka – 1/7