By Erik Gudris | Sunday, October 26, 2014
Serena Williams defended her WTA Finals title for a third year in a row with a near-dominating win over Simona Halep.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Before the start of and during the course of this week's WTA Finals, plenty of questions swirled around the year-end WTA event in Singapore. Yet, as she's done before, Serena Williams ended the week with yet another exclamation mark in her career as she defended her title for a third year in a row.
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It was fitting, and perhaps a little ironic, that Williams would face Romania's Simona Halep in the final. After all, Halep in the round robin stage handed Williams her worst loss in over 16 years. A 6-2, 6-0 defeat that would later put Williams' hopes of reaching the semifinals in Halep's hands.
Had Halep not won a second set against Ana Ivanovic, Williams would be home by now. Instead, Ivanovic won that match in three sets giving Williams a semifinal berth that she later use to beat friend Caroline Wozniacki to reach the last stage.
Williams, throughout her history at the year-end event, had never lost to the same player twice in one tournament. Early on in this final, the match started out almost as their previous encounter. Williams, looking unsteady reeled off multiple unforced errors. That allowed Halep to gain an early break lead to the delight of the crowd who were chanting the Romanian's name with such fervor that at one point the chair umpire had to ask them to be quiet.
Halep, who played near flawless tennis in her earlier win, didn't look so polished herself. Showing nerves as she tried to win her biggest career title, the Romanian soon handed the break back. That was in large part to Williams' growing pressure on Halep's short second serve deliveries.
Williams, breaking back, soon jumped out to a 4-2 lead. But Williams then sputtered in her next service game tossing in several double faults that left her muttering in disbelief to her team sitting near by. Halep broke back to get within a game for 4-3. It seemed Halep just might use her pinpoint shotmaking to edge ahead of the top seed.
Instead, that game would be the last Halep would win on the night. Williams, before the match, said that her goal was to just win three games. Perhaps, instead, it was to allow only the same number from her opponent tonight.
With both women still trying to find their best tennis, Halep couldn't seem to shake off the pressure she was feeling from the moment and, more important, Williams continuing to stand almost near the service line to return serves. Another shaky error from Halep gave Williams a 5-3 lead and another Halep error a few points later soon finished the set in Williams' favor 6-3.
Things quickly unraveled for Halep at the start of the second set. Halep netted a backhand during a rally while down break point to give Williams the early lead. After Williams held her own serve, the World No. 1 then started feasting on Halep's weaker serve. On one point, Williams blasted a 100 mph return winner. She then placed a forehand in the far corner a few points later to open up a 3-0 advantage.
Was Williams thinking about that bagel set she suffered at the hands of the Romanian a few nights before? Maybe. Williams later served up only her third ace so far to hold for 4-0. Then she would rip, for her, a routine crosscourt forehand return winner to break Halep one more time for 5-0.
The final game was merely a formality for Williams who showed no signs she would allow Halep any chance of a comeback. Serving out the match with authority, Williams raised her arms in triumph with the 6-3, 6-0 win.
Williams posted 26 winners to just five from Halep. That stat was to be expected. But while Williams racked up 25 unforced errors, Halep posted an untidy 15 errors on her stat sheet.
The victory gave Williams her fifth year-end championship title and her third in a row. After an up and down season filled with surprise losses, Williams finished the year once again as year-end No. 1, proving again she remains the player to beat in women's tennis.
Despite the loss, Halep was all smiles during the trophy ceremony. "I had an amazing week. Congrats to Serena. You are the best."
Williams returned the compliment to Halep by saying, "Simona is making me a better player."
Then, appropriately, Billie Jean King, for whom the WTA Finals trophy is named for, handed the trophy to Williams adding a historic and emphatic exclamation point to the end of another winning season for the best player in women's tennis.