Simona Halep began her WTA Finals campaign by saving match point and edging out Bianca Andreescu 3-6 7-6(6) 6-3 in Shenzhen.
In the battle of the grand slam champions, it was the Wimbledon champion who battled to victory in a gruelling 2 and a half hours of tennis.
For a set and a half, Andreescu had dominated proceedings but after losing the second set was struggling with a back injury.
Next for Halep will be Elina Svitolina, who currently sits top of the Purple Group having won in straight sets earlier today.
It was the US Open champion who had initially set the tempo of the match with some quick transition play from attack to defence.
An early break helped Andreescu, who was playing for the first time at the WTA Finals after an incredible 2019 season.
However, Halep showed she was her to play as well and her good counter-attacking skills helped her break back and save three break points in the following game.
A crucial hold of serve for 3-3 was all that Andreescu needed to fire her up as she brought a variety of tactics to Shenzhen.
The creativity, intensity and attitude helped the Canadian roar to first set as she managed to force unforced errors from the Simona Halep forehand.
Three breaks of serve in the opening five games started the set as the Romanian gained the advantage through better tactical adjustments like using the down-the-line shots.
Although some good serving out wide helped her confidence, Halep once again conceded the break with some cautious play as Andreescu powered her way to 4-4, as she brought some audacious trick shots to the match.
😍 @Bandreescu_ pulling out the tweener#WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/xrsP060lwV
— wta (@WTA) October 28, 2019
It looked increasingly likely that Andreescu was going to win the match in straight sets but Halep managed to survive with some defensive shot-making.
Gutsy play saw the former world number one save match point and force a second set tiebreak, which swung the way of Halep through some on-the-run winners.
A missed return for Andreescu saw Halep claim the set in 66 minutes as the third set approaches.
As the Canadian started to struggle with a back injury, Halep continued to wear down her opponent as she used great angles to create the space.
Although some magical drop-shots and powerful return winners helped swing the match back in Andreescu’s favour, it wasn’t the 19 year old’s day.
Good depth secured the crucial break for 5-3 as Halep made no mistake this time to secure the win after two and a half hours.
After the match, Halep seemed pleased at her performance, “It was a very tough match,” the Romanian admitted.
“I knew that she’s a great player and she’s playing till the end without giving up. I had to fight. I’m a little bit dead but I have time tomorrow to recover. I’m really happy I finally won a match in the WTA Finals.”
It was a great performance that now sets the bar for her WTA Finals campaign as she takes on Elina Svitolina on Wednesday.
As for Andreescu, this will be a difficult loss to take considering her injury as she looks to get revenge on Wedenesday when she takes on Karolina Pliskova.
