Halep on top of her game against Garcia

SINGAPORE— Playing her first match as the top-ranked player, Simona Halep beat Caroline Garcia 6-4, 6-2 at the WTA Finals on Monday. “I am really happy I can win the first match (as No.1),” said Halep, the first Romanian woman to be top-ranked. “It takes the pressure off.” Halep was a finalist at the season-ending eightplayer tournament in 2014. She lost to No. 1 Serena Williams on that occasion, which marks the last time the top-ranked player won the event.