Page 20 - aruba-today-20190806

A20 SPORTS
Tuesday 6 augusT 2019

San Jose

Continued from Page 17 ball, she will hit winners on
any corner, so I was just
Zheng, who is ranked 55th trying to mix it up,” Zheng
and played one more said.
match than Sabalenka to Sabalenka threw her rack-
reach Sunday’s champion- et after double-faulting
ship, topped three seeded on the first match point,
players on the way to her slammed her racket to the
second career final and court following another
then another for her first mistake and also hit it on
victory at age 25. She was the net in frustration in an
runner-up at Nanchang afternoon of unforced er-
last year.With her big top- rors after the 21-year-old
spin shots landing deep missed on a fourth career
and the defensive ability to title.
chase down balls all over The second-seeded Sa-
the court, Zheng flustered balenka, who lost in the first
opponents all week with round of qualifying here in
her consistency and level- 2018, rode her powerful first
headed play — and the serve to reach to her sev-
emotional Sabalenka was enth final and is projected
no different. to match her career-high
Not that Zheng was pay- ranking of ninth. Zheng Saisai, of China, returns the ball to Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the finals of the
ing attention to her oppo- “I couldn’t do anything to- Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tennis tournament in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019.
nent’s outbursts, saying she day with myself. I couldn’t
stayed focused on her own control my emotions. I was pel her to No. 38 — match- had played one three-set She noted, “I want to be
game plan. screaming some (stuff), I ing her career best — when match this week. like Serena on the court.”
“The tactic is put the ball was throwing the rackets,” Monday’s new singles rank- They even wore matching “I expect better tennis than
deep and whenever I see she said. “... Her game ings are released. Nike outfits for the final of I played today,” she said. “I
a space let her run and destroyed me because I The two met once previ- dark skirts and a gold tank. just need to be calm on the
change if I can flies or high couldn’t use my power. I ously, with Zheng winning For Sabalenka, the loss will court and just play my ten-
balls because if I give her wasn’t ready for that.” in straight sets on the ITF cir- provide lessons in how to nis and don’t care about
the same pace, the same Zheng’s victory could pro- cuit in 2017. Each woman be more mentally tough. anything else.”q