By Chris Oddo | Tuesday October 30, 2018
Daria Kasatkina reached the Top 10 with a brilliant run to the title at the Kremlin Cup, but the talented Russian will have to work hard to finish the season with that ranking intact. Today she did just that, coming through a seesaw battle with China’s Wang Qiang, 6-1, 2-6, 7-5 at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Kasatkina, ranked just 130 points ahead of Anastasija Sevastova and 170 points ahead of Aryna Sabalenka, will likely need to do some more work at Zhuhai.
On Tuesday the Russian improved to 4-1 lifetime against Wang, coming through a wild third set that featured nine consecutive breaks at one point.
The Russian, who ranks second on the WTA Tour in return games won, broke nine times on 12 opportunities, and needed every one of those as she was broken eight times herself.
“Today we played another big match, so it's more and more difficult to play against her," Kasatkina said of the vastly improved Wang after the match.
One of the players chasing Kasatkina made a bold statement in her first match at Zhuhai. Sabalenka defeated Ashleigh Barty, 6-4, 6-4, to move to the top of the Orchid Group. The 20-year-old saved three of four break points and rallied from a break down in the second set to avenge a loss at this year’s Australian Open to Barty.
“I was missing to play tennis, like matches,” Sabalenka told reporters. “I'm so happy with this start with a win. I think it helps to have a few weeks off.”
Sabalenka, who improves to 46-21 on the season, says she and her team aretn’t overly concerned with the result this weekend. They just want to improve.
“We just care about the future and trying to change something in my game,” she said.
In other action on Day 1 of Zhuhai, Elise Mertens opened her tournament with a win over Anett Kontaveit, 6-3, 6-1.
Round Robin winners earn 120 ranking points, while losers earn 40. The eventual semifinal winners will earn 200 more ranking points and the title winner will add 460 to that.