Agnieszka Radwanska advanced to the final of the WTA Finals Singapore after defeating Garbiñe Muguruza in a hard fought three-set semifinal match that lasted 2 hours 38 minute: 6-7, 6-3, 7-5. These two had already played each other four time this year with the young Spaniard taking all four matches: semifinals at the China Open and Wimbledon as well as round of 16 wins at the Australian Open and Dubai. Radwanska had won their first two meetings (2014 Australian Open and Miami in 2012). Radwanska and Muguruza have been two of the hottest players on the WTA tour since the US Open. The sixth seed Radwanska qualified for the WTA Finals due to her success on the Asian swing. She won two tournaments (Tokyo and Tianjin) and made it to the semifinals the China Open. Muguruza won her first title of the year at the China Open and was a finalist at Wuhan. To reach the semifinals, the Pole had two losses in the Red Group round robin while Muguruza dominated the White Group 3-0.
The opening set was marked by momentum swings. The Pole was broken in the first game landing only two first serves. She then proceeded to win the next four games to take a four games to one lead. After a visit from her new coach, Sam Sumyk, Muguruza held serve at love and also won the following two games to level the set at 4-4.Each player held serve over the next four games to force a tiebreak. Radwanska, the “Fan Favorite” for four years in a row, dropped the first set after being up 4-1 in the tiebreak. Throughout the set, the Spaniard crushed Radwanska’s weak second serve. The Pole only won four of fifteen (27%) of her second service points. Muguruza was the more aggressive player with 23 winners compared to 9 for Radwanska. The Spaniard came into net 21 times versus just 5 for Radwanska.
Despite the dramatic first set win, Muguruza began the second set with low energy. Radwanska jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second set primarily due to mounting unforced errors from Muguruza. The world number 3 appeared physically and mentally fatigued. She managed to raise the level of her game, comfortably holding her next two service games and getting one break back in the sixth, helped in part by two double faults by Radwanska. Radwanska held her serve in the eighth game and broke Muguruza’s serve again in a close ninth game to force a decider. Surprisingly, the usually defensive minded Radwanska had a higher number of winners in the second set than the more aggressive Muguruza, 14 and 10, respectively. Muguruza’s first serve percentage dipped to 58%, from 74% in the first set.
Radwanska again got off to a great start, not committing any errors and giving up only four points to Muguruza, to take a 3-0 lead in the deciding set. Each player held serve over the next three games. Strong returns of serve helped Muguruza break Radwanska in the seventh game to get back on serve. The Spaniard saved two breakpoints with big serves in the eighth game to level the set at 4-4. However, Muguruza was not able to hold serving at 5-6 trying to force a tiebreak. Radwanska defended her second serve much better in the third set winning 67% of those points. She had only three unforced errors in the decider while Muguruza committed twenty-two.
Muguruza has played everyday of the tournament and admitted to being tired on Friday after her match with Petra Kvitova. “For sure I’m tired today,” she said. “It’s going to a challenge for me to see how much my body can handle because now I don’t have a day off. It’s great to be in my position I think now, to be playing singles and doubles semifinals.” She and Carla Suarez Navarro will play their doubles semifinals later today.
In her post match interview an emotional Radwanska said, “I have no words to say really. I didn’t know that I could come back after the (round robin) losses. I think that it was a great match from the beginning until the end – a lot of ups and downs, so many rallies, a lot of running. I am just so glad that I could win that match.”
Radwanska will try to become the first player to win a WTA Finals title after losing two matches in the round robin. She will face the winner of the Maria Sharapova / Petra Kvitova semifinal.
