Oct 14,V7N- Aryna Sabalenka admitted that she struggled to maintain focus during her 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory over Chinese star Zheng Qinwen in the Wuhan Open final on Sunday. Although Sabalenka breezed through the first set, she lost her rhythm in the second, allowing Zheng to stage a comeback before Sabalenka rallied to secure her third consecutive Wuhan title.

Reflecting on her performance, Sabalenka acknowledged that she became her own biggest obstacle. "I just lost a little bit of focus and let her back into the match. It became more emotional in the third set, but I’m glad I was able to gather myself and close it out," she said.

The win also earned Sabalenka 1,000 WTA ranking points, bringing her within 69 points of current world number one, Iga Swiatek. With the WTA Finals in Riyadh approaching, the race for the year-end top spot remains tight. Sabalenka said while becoming world number one is a goal, she’s focused on improving her game and will see where she stands after the Finals.

Zheng Qinwen, who won gold at the Paris Olympics, managed to take a set off Sabalenka for the first time in four encounters, showing signs of progress despite the defeat. Zheng said her performance was better than in previous matches against Sabalenka, and she was eager to continue improving her game.

"I'm excited because each time I'm doing better. I need to increase my speed at critical points and improve my tactics," Zheng said, expressing optimism for their next clash.

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