In an engaging start to the WTA Finals, the top-seeded duo of Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani kicked off their campaign in Riyadh with a decisive 6-3, 6-3 victory against the American pair Asia Muhammad and Dutch player Demi Schuurs. The match, held in the indoor venue of King Saud University, lasted just 77 minutes, showcasing the Italian Olympic champions’ determination to clinch their first WTA Finals title after a disappointing showing the previous year.
In a post-match interview, Errani reflected on the challenges posed by the conditions, noting, “It was a very tough match… the ball is flying, it’s not easy to do lobs. We have to change, a little bit, the way we play; we have to be more aggressive.” She went on to explain that in contrast to their typical baseline strategies, the pair needed to adopt a more assertive approach, incorporating serve and volley tactics to adapt to the fast conditions.
The match saw Paolini and Errani showcasing their ability to save critical break points, including three break chances on Paolini’s serve during a pivotal fifth game. After breaking their opponents in the sixth game, they surged ahead to a 5-2 lead before closing out the first set on their third set point.
The second set began with the Italians gaining an early break to lead 2-0. However, Muhammad and Schuurs fought back to clinch three consecutive games and momentarily held a 3-2 advantage. Displaying resilience, Errani and Paolini responded by winning the next four games to wrap up the match.
This win marked a significant moment for Errani and Paolini, as they broke the head-to-head tie with Muhammad and Schuurs, having previously suffered defeat against them in March at the BNP Paribas Open but securing victory in the US Open quarter-finals later that year. Having finished 1-2 in the group stage last year and failing to advance, their sights are set on a perfect record this season, which could also see them ascend to the year-end World No. 1 ranking, contingent on the performance of the current holders, Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova.
In a thrilling second match of Day 1, the duo of Su-Wei Hsieh from Taipei and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko managed to come from behind to defeat the Russian team of Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens from Belgium, with the scoreline reading 1-6, 7-5, [10-5]. This match served as a form of redemption for Hsieh and Ostapenko, who had previously lost to Kudermetova and Mertens at Wimbledon.
The first set was dominated by Kudermetova and Mertens, who quickly took control with two breaks, wrapping it up in just 22 minutes. The second set saw a flurry of breaks exchanged between the teams, with Hsieh and Ostapenko continuously rallying back to stay in the match despite trailing. Ultimately, the sixth-seeded duo secured a vital break and forced a match tiebreak, where they displayed their fighting spirit by overcoming early deficits to clinch the win.
Ostapenko, reflecting on the first set loss, stated, “My thoughts were like, ‘We lost 6-1, but it’s still good. We made it to the WTA Finals… we’ll try our best and we’ll fight.’” Hsieh expressed her hope to add another Martina Navratilova trophy to her collection, humorously asking the media to refrain from mentioning the year she previously won.
With this initial success, both Hsieh/Ostapenko and Errani/Paolini sit at the top of the Martina Navratilova Group with their 1-0 records, setting the stage for a competitive tournament as they chase their aspirations in the prestigious WTA Finals.
