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Tennis
Aryna Sabalenka needed nearly two hours to overcome Karolina Muchova 7-6 (2), 7-5 in their WTA Finals Group 2 opener at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
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Aryna Sabalenka launched her WTA Finals campaign with a hard-fought 7-6 (2), 7-5 victory over Karolina Muchova in their Group 2 clash at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The contest stretched to an hour and 53 minutes, and the world number one needed every bit of composure to see it through.
Neither player could establish sustained dominance early on. Muchova broke Sabalenka's serve twice, only for the Belarusian to hit straight back on each occasion. Muchova then saved two set points to drag the opener into a tiebreak - but her nerve faltered at the crucial moment. Two missed forehands handed Sabalenka the set 7-2 in the breaker.
Three consecutive breaks of serve gave Sabalenka what looked like a comfortable cushion in the second set. Muchova, though, refused to go quietly, clawing back to level at 5-5. It wasn't enough. Sabalenka steadied herself, broke again, and served out the match without further alarm.
The win was Sabalenka's 13th at the WTA Finals, drawing her level with Mary Pierce for the most victories by a player yet to lift the trophy. She has now won five successive WTA Finals openers, having lost her first in 2021.
Despite defeat, Muchova's appearance was notable in its own right. At 30, she became just one of four players in the past half-century to make a WTA Finals debut at that age or older - a testament to her remarkable persistence at the top of the game.
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Copyright 2026 VIASPORT
Eva Hernández, Editor-in-Chief
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