TENNIS WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS – Serena Williams started her WTA Championships run with a solid win over Ana Ivanovic with a double 6-4, Simona Halep left five games to Eugenie Bouchard.
The world number one needed a full test of her conditions to overcome a very positive Ivanovic, but the Serb lacked of consistency when it most mattered, handing both the sets with errors on break points.
Williams showed to be no longer troubled by the knee problems that hampered her post-US Open season and for long put her in doubt for this event. On the contrary, she showed a great physical shape and full control of her great power, as well as some awesome defences. Her serve was also key, she served 12 aces against only four double faults.
The seventh seed, however, showed how her form translated well to these indoor conditions and, most definitely, she is still in the battle to pass the group stage, in spite of the loss. She served very well, apart from the two final games of both sets, including three consecutive service games held to love in the second set.
Halep had a much easier job in the match of first-timers at the WTA Championships. She looked nervous, but nothing compared to Bouchard, who looked absolutely overwhelmed by the situation.
Despite the head-to-head was tied with both matches having been played during 2014, there was little contest between the two today and the Romanian flew easily away in both sets.
Having been challenged very rarely on her serve, Halep could put all the pressure on the Canadian’s service games, which paid off immediately.
In the second set, only the inability of the Roland Garros finalist to widen the gap kept Bouchard close in the score, but in reality the result never looked particularly about to change.
Tomorrow, the White Group will play its first matches.
