Anisimova goes into the match having won six of their previous 10 meetings, although they have met in each of the three grand-to-head matches with two wins apiece.
She won in straight sets at the French Open Fourh Coath Fourh Fourh Foreal, while Anisimova won in three sets in their Wimbledon semi-final.
Their semi-final in Riyadh promised a lot – and delivered.
The first two games took 18 minutes to complete. Anisimova saved three break points to hold in the opener, then Sabalenka fought back from 0-40 down to the same.
The match clock had just broken an hour when Sabalenka later took the first set.
Anisimova, who failed to win an opening set of four matches in her WTA Finals Debut, responded with a career-high second and leveled the deal.
In a tight decider, Sabalenka’s backhand winner to settle the seventh game was sealed by a decisive break of service, and there was a hot catch between the two players in a two player sending a forehand width of the match on the match point on the match point on the match point.
“I told Amanda that she should be proud of her season – she played bad tennis for the whole season and this is the beginning,” said Sabalenka.
“I know he must be disappointed but there are still a lot of things coming his way.”