Simona Halep overcomes in-form Caroline Garcia to make bright start to WTA Finals
The world No 1 beat the Frenchwoman 6-4 6-2 in an impressive victory in Singapore
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Your support makes all the difference.Simona Halep made a winning start to her WTA Finals campaign with an impressive 6-4 6-2 victory over Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia on Monday, the Romanian surging clear in the second set to subdue her in-form opponent at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Garcia was the last woman to qualify for the elite eight-woman event when the 24-year-old won back-to-back tournaments in China but her Red Group debut ended in defeat when the world number one halted her 11-match winning run in emphatic fashion.
There was little to choose between the aggressive baseliners in the first set but Halep seemed to step up a gear on the key points in the opener before hassling and harrying Garcia all over the court in the second to triumph in 88 minutes.
"I am really happy that I could win my first match as the No 1 in the world, it takes the pressure off," Halep, who had lost to Garcia in the China Open final this month, said in a courtside interview.
"I enjoy being in this position and hopefully I can play better in my second match than I did today."
While Halep was making her fourth straight appearance in Singapore, Garcia belied any signs of big stage nerves with a solid hold in the first game, displaying plenty of aggression and volleying well.
Halep, meanwhile, was slightly sluggish in the early exchanges before a superb passing shot on the run in the fourth game appeared to act as a trigger for the energetic play that eventually wore down her opponent.
The pair traded breaks midway through the opener before Garcia's serve completely fell apart as the set progressed and her second double fault of a calamitous ninth game gifted Halep a 5-4 lead.
Garcia refused to buckle completely, however, and Halep needed three set points to finally seal the opener with a booming backhand down the line that was greeted by a loud roar and two clenched fists.
Halep was finding the corners at will and more sloppy serving from the Frenchwoman handed her opponent the first break of the next set in the third game, which the Romanian consolidated brilliantly after battling back from 0-40 down.
Another break of serve soon followed and although Garcia finally held in the seventh game, Halep would not be denied and sealed the contest on her first match point when the Frenchwoman sent a routine volley at the net into the tramlines.
"It was a great match, I played my best tennis and it's never easy against Caroline after she beat me in Beijing, but I did well and I love competing here in Singapore," Halep added.
Reuters
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