Venus gets revenge on Muguruza, enters semis
SINGAPORE: Venus Williams beat Garbine Muguruza 7-5, 6-4 to claim the second semi-final spot from the White Group at the season-ending WTA Finals last night.
The American fifth seed joined in-form Czech Karolina Pliskova, who had already locked up pole position from the White Group after losing just eight games in her opening two matches.
In a rematch of the Wimbledon final this year, the 37-year-old Williams got a sweet revenge on Spain’s Muguruza who won at the All England Club.
Earlier, French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko finished a disappointing WTA Finals on a high with a consolation straight sets victory over Pliskova.
The Latvian easily won the White Group dead rubber encounter 6-3, 6-1 in 66 minutes to clinch her first victory at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“I think it is great to finish the season this way,” Ostapenko said after the match. “Today I had nothing to lose as it was my last match here. I just tried to enjoy it as I really love to play here.”
It was her first win in three meetings against the third seed, who claimed the marathon three-set classic at the Australian Open this year.
Ostapenko was eliminated from her WTA Finals debut after a three-set defeat to Williams on Tuesday.
Lacking intensity, both players came out sluggishly in an error-riddled start. Pliskova’s reliable big serve was uncharacteristically erratic, with three early double faults, as she was broken three times in the first set.
“It was really tough to push myself into it and to play the best tennis if you know you’re qualified. I’ve never been in this situation, so I felt weird today,” the 25-year-old Pliskova told reporters.
Despite the loss, Pliskova, who is in the running to finish as the world No.1, is in the final four after failing in her debut last year.
Meanwhile French world No.8 Caroline Garcia says she is working on keeping her emotions in check after crying during a hard-fought victory over Elina Svitolina on Wednesday.
Down 5-3 and on the brink of elimination, Garcia dug deep and reeled off four straight games to prevail 6-7 (9/7), 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and 44 minutes.
It was a stellar comeback from Garcia after blowing two chances to win the first set tie-break. An emotional Garcia went back to her chair and started crying before receiving a pep talk from her coach and father Louis-Paul Garcia.
Garcia said the disappointment of losing the set was overwhelming. “I didn’t handle it very well,” she said.
“I was pretty frustrated about losing the first set, and I was trying to come back and just forget about it.”
The 24-year-old said she had been trying to improve her emotional outbursts. “I play with my emotions and sometimes it is just too much,” she said. “Sometimes you have to just let it go and keep going.”
Garcia rebounded to claim an impressive fighting victory, having been in severe danger in the third set.
Garcia can top the Red Group if she beats in-form Caroline Wozniacki and Svitolina defeats world No.1 Simona Halep today.