Halep starts well in Singapore

 

Originally published on 23/10/17 00:00

The Romanian used her excellent defensive skills to contain her attack-minded opponent and she established control after edging a closely fought opening set.

It was sweet revenge for Halep, who lost to Garcia in the final of the China Open in Beijing two weeks ago, and she appears to be enjoying her time in top spot.

After ending her opponent’s 11-match unbeaten run, Halep said: “I played a great match. It was my best tennis and it’s never easy to play against Caroline as she beat me in Beijing. I also played her in Toronto, so I had that match in mind as well.

“I played well and I feel great in Singapore. It’s my first tournament as world No.1 and I’m really happy I could win my first match. It’s a good sign.”

In the second match of the day in the Red Group, Caroline Wozniacki enjoyed a straightforward 6-2 6-0 triumph over Elina Svitolina in just 58 minutes.

A keenly fought duel between two excellent counter-punchers was predicted, but it never unfolded in the manner expected. The Dane was rewarded for her willingness to be proactive while the Ukrainian struggled to cap the unforced-errors.

After her first win over Svitolina at the fourth attempt, Wozniacki said: “I played extremely well out there and I'm pleased to be through this first match. I tried to be aggressive and go for my shots, and it really worked for me today.”

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