Zheng Qinwen will try to stay in contention for a semifinal spot at the WTA Tour Finals as she battles Elena Rybakina in the group stages on Monday inh Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Zheng still could not figure out Sabalenka, losing to the world’s No.1 6-3. 6-4 for the fifth straight time. Zheng, who also lost to Sabalenka in the women’s singles final of the 2024 Australian, won 82 percent of her first serves. Still, she could not convert a single breakpoint, with the Belarusian holding 100 percent of her serves and winning 94 percent of her first serves. Rybakina has had a tough loss to Jasmine Paolini 7-6(5) 6-4 on Day 1. The Kazakh fired 8 aces but blew an opportunity to break in the 11th game after tying the score at 4-4 in the first set. Rybakina eventually lost the first set and the next after allowing Paolini to break in the crucial seventh game of the second set.Rybakina is 2-0 head-to-head heading into her first indoor showdown with Zheng. Zheng never got the chance to face Rybakina during the Asian leg of the WTA Tour since the Kazakh had taken a four-week break to recover from a hectic season. With fresher legs and in-game rust already shaken off after that tough contest against Paolini, Rybakina is poised to continue her domination against Zheng, who has yet to win a set in their series. Our betting prediction for Elena Rybakina vs. Zheng Qinwen: Bet on Rybakina to win, +125, at Caesars Sportsbook.
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