Naomi Osaka outlasted Petra Kvitova in a three-set marathon for a drought-breaking victory at the WTA Finals yesterday.
Opening the US$14 million round-robin tournament, the first in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, the world No. 3 regrouped from several lethargic stretches to win 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-4 in 2 hours, 39 minutes.
It was the Japanese sensation’s first victory at the WTA Finals after a winless campaign in her debut appearance last year and stretched her current winning streak to 11 matches, having claimed titles in Osaka and Beijing.
Photo: AFP
“She started going hard at me from the beginning and I just had to adjust to it,” Osaka said after the match.
In a rematch of this year’s tense Australian Open final, world No. 6 Kvitova came out with intent until she stuttered in the eighth game of the opening set with three double faults to squander the game.
Osaka held off two break points in the ninth game before dominating the tiebreak to draw first blood.
Photo: AP
It seemed to shake the Czech’s confidence, but Kvitova, the oldest player in the draw, clawed back in the second set and took advantage of an error-strewn Osaka, who several times slammed her racket in frustration.
A refocused Osaka put the foot down in the deciding set, but could not convert two match points in the eighth game before finally closing it out in the 10th to issue a statement to her rivals in the Red Group.
In the other singles match yesterday, Ashleigh Barty defeated Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.
Photo: AFP
In the doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic faced China’s Zhang Shuai and Samantha Stosur of Australia after press time last night.
Additional reporting by staff writer
ELITE TROPHY ZHUHAI
AFP, ZHUHAI, China
Aryna Sabalenka won her third singles title of the year — all in China — with a straight-sets victory over top seed Kiki Bertens in the Elite Trophy Zhuhai final yesterday.
The 21-year-old from Belarus eased to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over the Dutchwoman in southern China to end her singles season on a high.
Ranked 14th in the world, the hard-hitting Sabalenka appears to enjoy playing in China. Her other two titles this year came at Wuhan in September and in Shenzhen at the start of the year.
Sabalenka will compete in the coming week in doubles with the Belgian Elise Mertens at the WTA Finals in nearby Shenzhen.
SWISS INDOORS
Reuters
Top seed Roger Federer dispatched Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors championships in Basel on Saturday for his 50th win of the season.
He was looking to win his 10th title in his hometown. He faced unseeded Australian Alex de Minaur in yesterday’s final, which began after press time last night.
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