The WTA Finals are being played in Indian Wells this year before moving to Charlotte in future years, and this has allowed a somewhat more laid-back atmosphere for players and fans. That might not be best for Aryna Sabalenka, though.
She feeds off a crowd, both those in support of her and against her, but the Indian Wells audience was so sleepy that Sabalenka's match against Karolína Muchová often felt more like an exhibition instead of an important match at the year-end tournament.
Both players wanted to win, of course, but Sabalenka might have needed the victory more. She has had a bit of a rough year. She lost her No. 1 ranking to rival Elena Rybakina, and the Belarusian didn't win a major.
Aryna Sabalenka defeats Karolina Muchová at the WTA Finals
Her issue has been massive inconsistency, and that held true in the first set against Muchová, as Sabalenka was broken early after seemingly trying to hit every shot with too much force. She was able to break back, but then was broken again to be a game from losing the set. As before, she was able to break back again.
The former WTA No. 1 was able to dominate the tie-break 7-2, gaining an early advantage in the match. Still, as she has been so inconsistent in her game, there was no guarantee she would get the win in the round-robin match, and the door remained open for Muchová.
The Czech hasn't had the best of seasons, either. She lost in the Wimbledon final, but then needed surgery, which forced her to miss months. She was in the WTA Finals on the strength of her major run, but she wasn't yet in top form.
The second set followed the same kind of path as the first, though it was Sabalenka who got the first break. She then lost the next game on serve before getting yet another break. The play was mercurial, and both players were brilliant at times, but playing just below the level of truly magical tennis.
Sabalenka was able to hold to get to 5-3, but as nothing was coming easily for either player, one could not be sure if Sabalenka would get a break in the next game to win the set 6-3, or whether Muchová would break after a hold and get back to even.
The latter would prove true with Sabalenka dropping serve fairly easily and getting the set back to 5-all. Unsurprisingly, based on how the match had gone, Sabalenka broke back again to have another chance to serve out the match. It wasn't easy, and the game went to deuce, but Sabalenka was able to hold and take the set 7-5.
Up next for Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchová is more round-robin play. Both still have a chance to make the semifinals, which begin on Saturday, November 14.
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