WTA Championships day three’s main draw action started with the first match of the knock-out doubles tournament. Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Rodionova took on reigning US Open champions, Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova. The first set was a tight tussle, with the Russian duo making with a crucial break to win the set 6-4. However, the level of play dropped drastically from Elena Vesnina, as Rodionova and Kudryavtseva started to pick up their level of play too. A third set super tiebreak was played after the 8th seeds cruised to a 6-2 second set, and concluded with another Vesnina error. The final score: 4-6 6-2 10-6.
Serena Williams and Simona Halep was the marquee match of the day, as the winner will almost guarantee their spot in the semi-final as both players won their first matches. On paper, Serena is the firm favourite, having won their last three encounters in straight sets, and currently riding on a 15 match winning streak in Year-End Championships. Simona Halep obviously did not adhere to the script as she capitalised on a flat and off-colour Williams. Winning only nine points, Simona Halep whitewashed Serena Williams 6-0 in the first set, rendering the spectators speechless. The second set started ominously for Serena, as her once dominant serve was broken again immediately. Simona just would not let up on the pressure, as she steadily dismantled Serena’s game. The Romanian claims her first win over a world number one, first win over a top three player, and most importantly, first win over arguably the greatest female tennis player of all time, Serena Williams.
Serena was quick to acknowledge Simona’s superior play, saying that Halep was just too good for her and she will train to try to defeat her the next time. Simona was obviously elated at this result, but also recognized that Serena did not play her best tennis today. The humble Romanian said she was not intimated by Serena, and everything went well for her in this particular match.
Eugenie Bouchard and Ana Ivanovic took to the courts in an attempt to redeem themselves after losing their first matches. Like Serena, Eugenie has beaten her opponent the previous two times that they have met, and is the higher ranked player. However, Ana did not let these statistics bother her as she hit the ball with authority and did not allow Bouchard to get into a good rhythm. Before Eugenie knew what hit her, the first set was 6-1 to Ivanovic’s advantage. Eugenie staged a mini-fight back in the second set, but made ghastly errors when it mattered. Ivanovic screamed in delight after another Bouchard ball sailed over the baseline as she recorded a fuss-free 6-1 6-3 victory.
With this win, Ivanovic is tied with Serena with one win and one loss each. They both have to win their next matches to try to vie for a place in the semi-finals. As for Eugenie Bouchard, her debut at the WTA Championships resulted in two losses so far. Making the semi-finals would seem to be mission impossible as Serena is her next opponent, and the American will be playing to win.
2nd seeded Peng Shuai and Hsieh Su-Wei took on the Spanish duo of Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro in the 2nd doubles match of the day. The Spaniards threatened to continue the upset trend, breaking serve first. The Chinese/Chinese Taipei pair righted things eventually, sneaking out a close first set 6-4. The loss of the set broke Garbine Muguruza’s spirit, as errors flowed freely from her racquet. Peng and Hsieh then continued to pressure the younger Spaniard, and emerged with an easy victory. The only match not to feature an upset, Hsieh and Peng look poised to finish their partnership on a high.
It was 11 o’clock in the evening when the legends emerged. Marion Bartoli partnered with Tracy Austin and played against Martina Navratilova and Iva Majoli. Marion’s game was just too much to handle for the Navratilova and Majoli as they struggled to keep pace with her. Navratilova’s volleys were off today, committing numerous errors at the net. The result was never in doubt, as Bartoli/Austin cruised to an 8-4 victory.
Day four action features three singles matches, with Agnieszka Radwanska taking on Caroline Wozniacki. Both players upset their more accomplished opponents in their first rounds, and will fight to secure a place in the semi-final. Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova will attempt to erase the painful memory of losing their first round matches with a win here. Sharapova won their most recent meeting in Beijing, and will be the favourite here. Lastly, Serena Williams will take on Eugenie Bouchard in a must-win match for the American. After her admittedly “embarrassing” loss, Serena will be out for blood against the Canadian, which does not bode well for the young 20 year-old. The night session will then feature another doubles match, Cara Black/Sania Mirza vs. Raquel Kop-Jones/Abigail Spears. After that, the last match of the Legends event will be played, crowning the winner of the first Legend event. With such a jam-packed schedule, everyone will be entertained by the tennis extravaganza, so grab your tickets at sportshub.com.sg now!
About the writer
As an avid tennis fan, Sean Long keeps up to date with the happenings of the world of tennis. He lives and breathes tennis and also plays the sport. Aside from tennis, Sean maintains his health by sweating it out at the gym and enjoys food and travel.
