SWISS

WTA Final Singapore Day 1 - 2

White Group Results Tuesday Oct 21

Caroline Wozniacki beat Maria Sharapova 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 6-2

Agnieszka Radwanska beat Petra Kvitova 6-2 6-3

Wozniacki Outslugs Sharapova in 3 Sets; Radwanska Stuns Kvitova

wtatennis.com: October 21, 2014 Singapore - Day 2 of round robin play at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global kicked off with one of the most dramatic matches of the year, as Caroline Wozniacki battled past Maria Sharapova in a three-hour, 13-minute thriller and got the equal-biggest win of her whole career.

 

They couldn't have been more closely-matched the first three hours, with the No.2-seeded Sharapova's massive groundstrokes bringing her winner after winner and the No.8-seeded Wozniacki's mix of offense and defense off the ground - and some particularly big serving - keeping her even with her fellow former No.1. After taking the 74-minute first set in a tie-break, Wozniacki even had chances to close it out in straight sets, going up 5-3 in the second set and even serving for it the next game.

 

Sharapova has won more three-setters than anyone this year, though, and it's because she has no problems clawing her way back into matches - that's exactly what she did this time too, taking the second set in a tie-break and, after falling behind 2-0 in the third, evening things up at 2-all.

 

But Wozniacki made one last push down the home stretch, reeling off four games in a row from there - and losing only five points in those four games, too - to close the match out, 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-2. Wozniacki's win over the No.2-ranked Sharapova was the equal-biggest win of her career - she has one previous win over a World No.2, beating Vera Zvonareva at the WTA Finals in Doha in 2010.

 

The second match of the day also produced a surprise, as No.6 seed Agnieszka Radwanska stunned No.3 seed Petra Kvitova in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Radwanska was just too solid with a +4 winners to unforced errors differential (13-9) while Kvitova's game went awry with a -16 differential (26-42). Kvitova went into the tournament fresh from an impressive sequence of results in Wuhan and Beijing. However, Radwanska had all the answers to defeat the Czech for just the second time in her career.

Red Group Results Monday Oct 20

4-Simona Halep beat 5-Eugenie Bouchard 6-2 6-3

1-Serena Williams beat 7-Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-4     

Serena Hurdles Ivanovic in Opener; Halep Cruises Past Bouchard

wtatennis.com: October 20, 2014 Singapore The two leading WTA Rising Stars on the tour squared off on Day 1 of round robin play at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and this time it was Simona Halep who was just too solid on the day, cruising to a 6-2, 6-3 victory against Eugenie Bouchard.

 

Both Halep and Bouchard were somewhat unknown quantities coming in, not only because neither had played the WTA Finals before, but because both had withdrawn mid-tournament in their last tournaments due to injury - Halep from Beijing with a hip injury, Bouchard from Linz with a thigh injury.

 

But for whatever reason the No.4-seeded Halep was in control from the start, storming out to a 4-0 lead and, after pocketing the set, breaking twice more in the second set to put the No.5-seeded Bouchard away in just 68 minutes, 6-2, 6-3. Bouchard went out quietly, double faulting on match point. It was an incredibly consistent performance from Halep, who had an even differential of winners to unforced errors during the match, 11 to 11. Bouchard, meanwhile, was -17 on the day (13 to 30).

 

Earlier in the day, No.1 seed Serena Williams regrouped after a mid-match wobble to edge No.7 seed Ana Ivanovic, 6-4, 6-4. Williams was originally up 4-1 when Ivanovic clawed back to 4-all and even had a break point for 5-4 - but Williams regrouped to close out the set and eventually the match.

 

It was Williams' 16th straight win at the WTA Finals, the second-longest winning streak in tournament history after Martina Navratilova's 21 from 1983 to 1986. And she had some phenomenal numbers on the day to get there - she had 25 winners to just 14 unforced errors, 12 of those 25 winners being aces.

 

Like Halep, Williams was also playing her first match since Beijing - she actually pulled out of Beijing mid-tournament as well due to a knee injury. She was asked about that in her post-match press. Williams and Halep now sit atop the Red Group with 1-0 records, while Bouchard and Ivanovic are third and fourth with 0-1 records. The group's second wave of matches will take Centre Court Wednesday.

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