Keystone
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka started the WTA Finals in the Saudi capital Riyadh with a trouble-free victory.
The 27-year-old Belarusian conceded just four games to the Italian Jasmine Paolini (WTA 8) and won 6:3, 6:1 in 71 minutes.
In the second match on Sunday, Jessica Pegula (WTA 5) beat her American compatriot Coco Gauff (WTA 3) 6:3, 6:7 (4:7), 6:2. Gauff had to surrender her serve no fewer than nine times. Pegula, who had previously lost twice in a row to Gauff, is now 5-3 up in the head-to-head.