Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki both settled old scores as current and former number one players advanced with straight-set Red group wins on Monday at the WTA Finals.
Halep, who currently tops the rankings, lived up to her new status as she produced a 6-4, 6-2 win, which ended an 11-match win streak for opponent Caroline Garcia.
The Frenchwoman had claimed back-to-back titles in Asia at Wuhan and Beijing, beating Halep this month in final in the Chinese capital.
Wozniacki earned revenge from Elina Svitolina after losing all three previous meetings with the Ukrainian – including Dubai and Toronto finals in 2017.
The Dane earned who played the 2010 final and last competed in Singapore in 2014, posted a 6-2, 6-0 result, winning the last 10 games of the one-way contest,
“It’s great to win the first match,” former number one Wozniacki said. “I was aggressive with my shots, everything worked for me today.
“I’ve been working on my serve for 20 years,” she joked. “Finally, it’s starting to click.
“I’ve done everything I’ve ever dreamed of in tennis, I’m just really enjoying myself here.”
Romania’s Halep beat Garcia running away in the eight-woman season wrapup, taking just under 90 minutes to go through.
Halep, competing in a season wrap-up for the fourth time and coached by Australian Darren Cahill, took charge early and credited an improved serve for helping her to victory.
“I’ve improved my serve a lot,” the winner said. “I’ve worked really hard on it after the US Open – where she lost to Maria Sharapova in the first round. My serve helped ma a lot to win the match today.”
Halep added: “The loss in Beijing was on my mind, it’s never easy to play her. I think I played a great match.
“I’m just happy I could win my first match as number one, I really enjoy being in this position. I hope to play even better in the next match.”
The top two finisher from the pair of four-women groups go into the weekend semi-finals after three round-robin matches in the island city-state.
Halep needed 50 minutes to claim the opening set after getting her first break of serve in the fifth game. The Romanian was pegged back to 3-all but broke free for 5-4 and took the opener on her third opportunity through a Garcia backhand error.
In the second, Halep raced to a 5-1 lead as she won eight of nine games and finished off victory two games later on her first match point as Garcia volleyed wide to end it.
Source: GNA/dpa/NewsGhana.com.gh
