The WTA Finals are going to kick off Sunday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova are favored by the rankings, but face immediately tough competition. All eyes will be on the Russian to see how she can play after missing all summer hard court season. Here are our predictions for day one in Singapore.
(1) Simona Halep (ROU) vs. (7) Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
Pennetta Leads 4-1
Simona Halep and Flavia Pennetta will find one another on each side of the net just a month and a half after fighting off in the US Open semi-finals. As we all know, Pennetta dominated that match winning in straight sets by 6-1 6-3. Despite Halep being overall a more complete player than the Italian, she always has suffered to beat Flavia on the tour. The first match was won by Pennetta in Marbella, in 2010. Then the Italian won on clay again, in three sets in Bastad, with Simona retiring down 2-0 in the third set. Those matches were played before Simona had he breakthrough summer season that same year, thus the one match that really we should consider is the one the two played at the US Open in 2013.
Pennetta was coming back from a wrist surgery, but as it happens since 2009, she once again managed to find her magic in New York playing her best tennis in Flushing Meadows. That match was won by Pennetta by 6-2 7-6, but Halep served for the second set, before rain started pouring in Queen’s. When the match resumed, Pennetta looked the freshest, as she broke the Romanian and then won the match in the tie-break.
This year the two met a first time in Miami. That was the first time Halep finally beat Pennetta, winning by 6-3 7-5, coming back from a break down in the second set. It was a very close match, well played by both players. Halep had just more fuel in the tank, and grabbed the win before the match could go to a third set.
Finally, the match played at the US Open this year was both the best performance of the Italian in the year and a non-exceptional showing from the Romanian. Simona was tired after fighting for three sets against Victoria Azarenka and was lacking the brilliancy that allowed her to climb so fast the rankings over the past 2 years.
Here are some highlights of that match:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eXdo1vbwr0
The question is: can Pennetta repeat a performance like that? Considering how Halep hasn’t played a tournament since the beginning of the month, retiring in the only match she played in October against Arruabarrena at 5-4 in the first set, she will be the fresher player. Pennetta had to go to Tianjin, then Moscow, flying last minute to Singapore once she was sure she had qualified.
Simona last year played possibly her best tennis in Singapore, serving Serena Williams the worst defeat she faced in over a decade. That result and the run to the final means Halep likes the indoor conditions of Singapore and enjoys the big events more than anything else.
Halep is the top seed, considering how Serena Williams is out, but has already folded under pressure before and has learned the lesson. Pennetta has never qualified before for the finals, Halep is at her second consecutive appearance.
One thing Simona suffers in Pennetta’s game is the Italian’s ability to find her rhythm on Simona’s mid-height ball, which land perfectly on her mid-upper body to fire her best shot: the backhand down the line. Pennetta doesn’t love Halep’s game because it takes three shots to take a winner out of the Romanian.
Because of that, physical condition will be key. Halep has had a better preparation, is ready to go. Because of that, I take Halep in straight sets.
Final Prediction: Simona Halep Wins in straight sets
(3) Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. (5) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
Sharapova leads 12-2
Maria Sharapova has only played one match and not a single full match since ending her Wimbledon run in the semi-finals losing to Serena Williams. Struggling with a leg injury, Maria didn’t play any tournament before the US Open, but then arrived in New York to complete the first day of interviews, to then decide it would be wiser retiring from the tournament. Back on court in Wuhan, the 5-time Grand Slam champion retired in the third set against Barbora Strycova when the score was 1-2 in the set.
Since that match, Sharapova entered another hiatus and was not seen on a tennis court until arriving to Singapore. On the other end, Agnieszka Radwanska has started playing her very best tennis as the season grew closer to an end. After the defeat to Madison Keys in the third round at the US Open, Lady Aga won the title in Tokyo, reached the semis in Beijing and won another title, her 16th in the career, in Tianjin. The crying girl who entered the French Open press room after another early defeat has been gone since then, replaced by the brilliant, talented tennis player the Polish really is.
Sharapova has only lost to Radwanska 2 times in 14 matches, with the last victory for Agnieszka coming in 2012 in the final of Miami. Since then, the two faced-off 5 more times on a tennis court, with Sharapova winning all matches. In 2015 Radwanska and Sharapova have only played in Fed Cup, with the Russian winning easily by 6-1 7-5 in Krakow.
Here the match highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PBxdkys2UA
For Sharapova to decide to play the tournament is a sign that the Russian thinks she can compete, but clearly there is no way Maria is going to play at her best. Considering that and the way Radwanska has played in the last part of the season, I hardly see the Russian grabbing the win.
Maria’s fighting spirit and Agnieszka’s nerves could be worth a set for Sharapova, but not more than that. The impression is that if Sharapova loses the first match easily, she could even consider leaving the tournament in advance.
Final prediction: Agnieszka Radwanska wins in 3 sets.
