Last week saw the staging of the WTA World Tour Finals in Singapore, and as always, the matches were unpredictable and high-quality. This season has certainly been one of shocks and surprises, exemplified by the fact eight different finalists in the four Grand Slam finals. Serena Williams went in as the favourite following her triumph at Flushing Meadows. Williams has had a disappointing year by her standards, with her ‘only’ Major coming in New York. However, she began her campaign in confident fashion, defeating Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-4, while Simona Halep beat Eugenie Bouchard 6-2, 6-3 in the other match in the Red Group.
In the White Group, Agnieszka Radwanska started off strongly by crushing Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-3. French Open Champion Maria Sharapova and US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki then played out arguably one of the matches of the group stage, with the Dane eventually prevailing in three thrilling sets. The shock of the tournament then came the following day, as Halep took her game to new heights, thrashing Williams, whose usually deadly serve when awry. Ivanovic then put forward her claim for a knockout place with a comfortable win over Bouchard. Sharapova was finding the going tough in Kallang, and the Russian was comfortably dispatched by Kvitova 6-2, 6-3, while Wozniacki continued her fine form this season with a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Radwanska.
Despite Sharapova’s travails, Bouchard lay claim to the wooden spoon, this time being drubbed 6-1, 6-1 by Williams. Despite this win, the American knew that a straight-sets victory for Ivanovic over Halep would mean that she was heading home. Ivanovic also knew that only this outcome would be enough to ensure her qualification, but this did not transpire, with the Serb taking the victory in three enthralling sets. So, Williams and Halep went through. In the other group, Wozniacki was the only one certain of progression going into the final round of fixtures. She claimed top spot with a thumping win over Kvitova, while at the other end of the table Sharapova, without a win to her name, needed to win in two sets to qualify for the last four. The match was a tight and tense affair, with the Russian failing to convert three match points in the second set. Radwanska, her opponent, capitalised on those missed opportunities to level the scores and force a decider, which Sharapova ultimately clinched 6-2. However, this was not enough and in the process she missed out on ending the year as World No.1, with her Polish opponent and Wozniacki progressing.
It was now the business end of the tournament and things were getting serious. Halep did not seem at all fazed by the spotlight though and booked her place in the final with a clinical display to swat aside Radwanska. In the other match, Williams faced Wozniacki. Given her performances in the group stage, the Dane seemed set to end her hoodoo against the 18-time Grand Slam Champion. Despite losing the first set though, Williams once again displayed her battling qualities in the big moments, taking the match 2-6, 6-3, 7-6. So on to the final, and a rematch of the Red Group encounter between Halep and Williams, when the French Open finalist was so dominant. However, it appeared that Williams had just had an off day, and she demonstrated why she has won so many titles throughout her career, as she stormed to victory in what turned out to be an anti-climactic finale. The tournament in Singapore was a great exhibition of the amount of quality in the women’s game. With a host of promising young players looking to make further strides, and the old guard refusing to budge, 2015 looks set to be a fascinating year.
Alex Bowmer