WTA Finals, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2024

tented

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DATE: November 2 - 9, 2024
SURFACE: Hard
PRIZE MONEY: $15,250,000
FIELD SIZE: 8
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Iga Swiatek

Singles:

1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Iga Swiatek
3. Coco Gauff
4. Jasmine Paolini
5. Elena Rybakina
6. Jessica Pegula
7. Zheng Qinwen
8. Barbora Krejcikova

Doubles:

1. Lyudmyla Kichenok / Jelena Ostapenko
2. Gabriela Dabrowski / Erin Routliffe
3. Hsieh Su-wei / Elise Mertens
4. Sara Errani / Jasmine Paolini
5. Caroline Dolehide / Desirae Krawczyk
6. Nicole Melichar-Martinez / Ellen Perez
7. Chan Hao-ching / Veronika Kudermetova
8. Katerina Siniakova / Taylor Townsend

Riyadh_WTA_Finals.jpg


The Tournament:

The WTA Finals (formerly known as the WTA Tour Championships or WTA Championships) is the season-ending championship of the WTA Tour. It is the most significant tennis event in the women's annual calendar after the four majors, as it features the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams based on their results throughout the season.

The tournament predates the WTA Tour and started in 1972 as the championship tournament of the Tour's predecessor: the Virginia Slims Circuit. Since 2003, the tournament has used a unique format not seen in other WTA Tour events: the players are separated into two groups of four, within which they each play three round-robin matches. The top two players or teams from each group after the round-robin stage move on to a knock-out format in the semifinals and final to determine the champion.

The WTA Finals has the largest prize money and ranking points after the majors. The most successful player in both singles and doubles history is Martina Navratilova, with eight singles and 13 doubles titles.

In the tournament's current format, the champion can earn a maximum of 1,500 ranking points, if they win the event as an undefeated champion in the round-robin stage.

About Riyadh:

Riyadh
is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. The current form of the metropolis emerged as an offshoot of the eponymous walled town following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications in the 1950s, after which the city underwent several phases of expansion and urbanization.

It is the largest city on the Arabian Peninsula, and is situated in the center of the an-Nafud desert, on the eastern part of the Najd plateau. The city sits at an average of 600 meters (2,000 ft) above sea level, and receives around 5 million tourists each year, making it the forty-ninth most visited city in the world and the 6th in the Middle East. Riyadh had a population of 7.0 million people in 2022, making it the most-populous city in Saudi Arabia, 3rd most populous in the Middle East, and the 38th most populous in Asia.

Riyadh_Skyline.jpg



Tourism Guide:

 
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Hoergren

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well hello again WTA finals one more time. Iga is in trouble in her first match. B. Krejcikova is a tuff cookie and knows how to play and it sems to me that Iga is trying but have no defense. She's been playing too hectic and Krejcikova returns really well today and won first set and now she's broken Iga twice in second set and leading second set 3-0 - well well.
And suddenly she finds her groove and wins 4 games in a row and now leading set 2
1730643084021.png

going three
1730644427808.png

AND she did win - leading set three 5-0 and winning it 6-2 after finding her match play - well done both of you
1730647503399.png
 
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Hoergren

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This time she couldn't come back so Coco wins after good play. Iga is a bit out of balance.
1730826306050.png

A lot of UFE from IGA - 47!
1730826570916.png
 

MargaretMcAleer

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I am not watching this tournament due to the disgusting treatment of woman, and the human rights issue in their country
Just wanted to post ( as I have been watching the scores)
With Coco Gauff winning over Swiatek 63 64 her second career win means that Aryna Sabalenka will finish the 2024 as year No 1
Congrats Aryna!
 

Kieran

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I am not watching this tournament due to the disgusting treatment of woman, and the human rights issue in their country
Just wanted to post ( as I have been watching the scores)
With Coco Gauff winning over Swiatek 63 64 her second career win means that Aryna Sabalenka will finish the 2024 as year No 1
Congrats Aryna!
Yeah I think the WTA most have been desperate for money that they decided to sell women out. All the players who attended this ought to be ashamed.

Trust me in this, we’ll see these same players trying to walk back their treachery some time in the near future…
 

Hoergren

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To all the fans who is against the Arabs - there is also a positive effect - I hope - to the women there when they see that you actually can excist without hiding. Actually there has been a sort of liberation for women in the last 15 years - it's just progressing slowly. I just say this because we've seen elsewhere that womens rights are under pressiore - I'm thinking on a certain banana republic in North America.

Today I watched a rare defeat for Sabalenka to a soon 100% recovered Rybakina. I look forward to seeing her with her new coach Goran Ivanisevic in the new year.
1730913171207.png

Stats + link to Ivanisevic article
1730913211846.png


https://www.flashscore.com/news/gor...after-splitting-from-novak-djokovic/SMbp9enI/
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Just read on Social Media,
Jess Pegula has withdrawn due to a knee injury, she will be replaced by Daria Kasatkina, who will play against Swiatek, a openly gay woman, Daria had initial concerns about SA, but she went anyway as a alternate.
 
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Kieran

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Just read on Social Media,
Jess Pegula has withdrawn due to a knee injury, she will be replaced by Daria Kasatkina, who will play against Swiatek, a openly gay woman, Daria had initial concerns about SA, but she went anyway as a alternate.
Good for her, and that’s one place where that ugly and ridiculous “pride” flag might actually make me laugh. Go for it, Girl!

You know she won’t though..
 

Hoergren

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What a match and what a result - IGA is out and Krajcikova is the winner of the group because she beat Coco Gauf
1730999182401.png

Stats
1730999228642.png
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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What a match and what a result - IGA is out and Krajcikova is the winner of the group because she beat Coco Gauf
View attachment 9782
Stats
View attachment 9783
Krejcikova again steps up out of nowhere, when she does that she usually ends the week with a trophy :) ( though I said before the tournament began my tip has been Sabalenka)
 
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Fiero425

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Good for her, and that’s one place where that ugly and ridiculous “pride” flag might actually make me laugh. Go for it, Girl!

You know she won’t though..

Wow, as you well know I haven't paid much attn. to the women; esp. w/ where they're holding the WTA Chp.! Surfed by to see Swiatek go down to Gauff, but I had totally forgotten about Iga! Haven't heard or seen anything of her since the USO! She won 2 matches, but wasn'tt good enough to make the SF! So much for her dominance! WTF has happened to her? It's been all "Sabalenka" of late! I guess she finally came into her own! I can't deal w/ the noise! Too much grunting! :astonished-face::fearful-face::face-with-hand-over-mouth::anxious-face-with-sweat:
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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As Swiatek didnt make the SFs she cannot be passed for finishing the year at No 2, with Sabalenka already ranked the No 1 player for the first time in her career.
If Gauff loses the SF against Sabalenka, and Zheng wins the title, Zheng will end the year ranked at No 3, otherwise Gauff will be No 3.
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Wow, as you well know I haven't paid much attn. to the women; esp. w/ where they're holding the WTA Chp.! Surfed by to see Swiatek go down to Gauff, but I had totally forgotten about Iga! Haven't heard or seen anything of her since the USO! She won 2 matches, but wasn'tt good enough to make the SF! So much for her dominance! WTF has happened to her? It's been all "Sabalenka" of late! I guess she finally came into her own! I can't deal w/ the noise! Too much grunting! :astonished-face::fearful-face::face-with-hand-over-mouth::anxious-face-with-sweat:
Just to give you Iga stats for 2024, she won 5 titles including 4th RG title, plus 4 WTA 1000's titles ( Doha, IW, Madrid and Rome)
Its Iga's 3rd consecutive season with 60+ plus wins, 61-9 in 2024, which overall is excellent,, ending the season as the No 2 ranked player, instead of making 'condescending remark' of WTF has happened to her? I suggest you do research on the WTA or start watching the WTA tour!
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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To all the fans who is against the Arabs - there is also a positive effect - I hope - to the women there when they see that you actually can excist without hiding. Actually there has been a sort of liberation for women in the last 15 years - it's just progressing slowly. I just say this because we've seen elsewhere that womens rights are under pressiore - I'm thinking on a certain banana republic in North America.

Today I watched a rare defeat for Sabalenka to a soon 100% recovered Rybakina. I look forward to seeing her with her new coach Goran Ivanisevic in the new year.
View attachment 9779
Stats + link to Ivanisevic article
View attachment 9780

https://www.flashscore.com/news/gor...after-splitting-from-novak-djokovic/SMbp9enI/
I have been to a Saudi country a few years ago, not by choice, as my original flight was cancelled and I had to get to Europe in a hurry, I went on a flight that stopped there and I had a couple of days before I could get on the airline of my choice, going to Europe, sorry I didnt see much change at all, regardless of their overall treatment of women, which is disgusting, it is also their 'human rights issue' which is just appalling full stop. The WTA as far as I am concerned sold their 'souls to the devil' allowing the end of year finals to be held in Saudi, of course we all know the WTA is struggling financially another factor they agree to the end of year finals in Saudi, money? I cannot bring myself to watch, knowing these issues are still ongoing!
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Qinwen Zheng becomes the first Chinese woman to reach the final of the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013, defeating Krejcikova 63 75, since winning the gold medal at the Olympics this year, Zheng has really improved out of sight, winning a couple of titles and now into the WTA finals.
Zheng awaits the winner of the 2nd SF match Sabalenka - Gauff which according to the SB will be starting shortly
 

MargaretMcAleer

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Gauff d Sabalenka 76(4) 63
Coco reaches her first WTA Final
She now leads H2H with Aryna 5-4
3rd win over the world No 1 who had a 'shocker in the SF match"
 

Hoergren

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Coco was playing well today and had really found her amazon spirit against Sabalenka. Really a good match they delivered. One tough cookie for you ;)
1731093263319.png


And the stats. In the match there were a talk with the front woman i Saudi Arabia. Who told us the importance for women in her country. Well -you don't care so I'll leave it there.
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