The two groups for the WTA season finale at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore has been released, and some intriguing encounters already stand out. In the Red Group, Simona Halep will face Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska and Flavia Pennetta. The White Group sees Garbine Muguruza take on Petra Kvitova, Angelique Kerber, and Lucie Safarova. Seven players will be looking to win this event for the first time.
It will be the first meeting of the year for Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova, who last met in 2014. Sharapova leads the head-to-head by a commanding five-love record. But Halep has enjoyed a remarkable 2015, finishing second only to Serena Williams in the year rankings. Singapore will also mark the final tournament of the career of Flavia Pennetta,who won the US Open this year. Her head-to-head record with the other member of the Red Group Agnieszka Radwanka, is three-five, with Radwanska winning their lone meeting in 2015 in Doha. Sharapova dominates the head to head with Radwanska, winning twelve of their fourteen meetings, including their lone meeting this year, and their meeting in this event last year. Pennetta has won three of her five meetings with Sharapova. Sharapova though comes into the event with very poor form, having played little tennis since her withdrawal from the US Open with a right leg injury.
Garbine Muguruza had enjoyed a stunning year, highlighted by a runner-up finish at Wimbledon. She will face former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. It will be an intriguing first meeting between the two. Angelique Kerber and Lucie Safarova make up the remaining competitors, with Safarova the latest to qualify last week. These two have split their two previous meetings, with Safarova winning the most recent in 2014. Muguruza and Kerber are also tied in their head-to-head at three apiece.
The draw means that Garbine Muguruza cannot face Maria Sharapova or Simona Halep until the knock-out stages. However, it could mean that she has to defeat one or both of them if she is to win the title on her tournament debut. She comes in though as perhaps the form player, with a runner-up and title finish in Wuhan and Beijing in recent tournaments.
Pictures from prep. to WTA Finals Singapore draw party. part II pic.twitter.com/h0APcJOyuw
— Pavlo (@pasha_zakr) October 23, 2015
The players enjoyed a tour of Singapore, and undertook some promotional responsibilities before the draw.
Last year’s winner Serena Williams is absent, with the only previous champion in the field Petra Kvitova, from 2011. Maria Sharapova is twice a runner-up. She will look to take advantage of the absence of her nemesis Williams to win the title for the first time. This year marks the first since 2011 that there is no Williams sister in attendance.
The #WTAFinals draw ceremony is starting now! pic.twitter.com/nGbBxlmUET
— wta (@WTA) October 23, 2015
View image on TwitterView image on Twitter
