Tag Archives: Peng Shuai

Caroline Garcia Defeats Aryna Sabalenka to Claim WTA Finals Crown

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Caroline Garcia has claimed the biggest singles title of her career…

The 29-year-old half-Spanish French tennis player took a tight first set and went on to a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over Aryna Sabalenka to win the championship of the WTA Finals on Monday night.

Caroline GarciaThe sixth-ranked Garcia became the second player from France to win the season-ending event after Amelie Mauresmo in 2005, also the last time the WTA Finals were held in the U.S.

The event was moved to Texas from China over concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion who accused a former government official there of sexual assault. Coronavirus restrictions also played a part in the decision.

Garcia won her last six sets after dropping the first in a winner-take-all match against Daria Kasatkina in group play. She is the oldest WTA Finals winner since Serena Williams at 33 in 2014.

The only player to win titles on all three surfaces this season, Garcia was just as comfortable as Sabalenka on the temporary indoor hard court at Dickies Arena near downtown Fort Worth.

As a result, Garcia handed the No. 7 player from Belarus just her third loss in 12 career hard-court finals. Sabalenka was trying to become the first player from her country to win the WTA Finals.

There was only one break point in a meeting of the tour (Garcia) and tournament (Sabalenka) leaders in aces coming into the match.

Garcia converted that break point in the first game of the second set while handing No. 7 Sabalenka just her third loss in 12 career hard-court finals on the temporary indoor court at Dickies Arena.

Garcia won six consecutive points in the tiebreaker, capped by her 10th ace of the first set for a 6-2 lead. Sabalenka’s third double fault ended the set. Garcia finished with 11 aces.

“It was a lot of aces, sometimes not too many rallies,” Garcia told the crowd. “But that’s our game style, and I hope you enjoyed it.”

Garcia matched Sabalenka’s power from the start in her fourth victory of the season, second only to Swiatek’s eight.

“I just dropped my level for a little bit on the tiebreak and in the first game of the second set,” Sabalenka said. “That was the key moments.”

Tied in the deciding game, Garcia’s service winner gave her a second match point, and Sabalenka sent a forehand long. Garcia dropped to the court on her back with her arms raised.

Muguruza & Carla Suarez Navarro Advance to the French Open Women’s Doubles Semifinals

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Garbiñe Muguruza’s sensational run in the women’s singles draw at the French Open may have come to an end in the quarterfinals… But she’s still in the title hunt at Roland Garros.

The 20-year-old half-Spanish-half-Venezuelan tennis player, considered one of the WTA’s rising stars, and her women’s doubles partner Carla Suarez Navarro beat Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik, the tournament’s No. 4 seeds, 6-4 6-4, in the quarterfinals to advance to the next round.

Garbine Muguruza & Carla Suarez Navarro

Peschke and Srebotnik, 2010 French Open finalists and 2011 Wimbledon champions, were the heavy favorites going into the match.

It’s only the third Grand Slam doubles appearance of her young career. Muguruza’s previous best showing in women’s doubles at a Grand Slam was a second round appearance at this year’s Australian Open.

Muguruza and Suarez Navarro will have a tough challenge in Friday’s semifinals. They’ll be facing off against this year’s No. 1 seeds, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su–wei and China’s Peng Shuai.

In the last two years, she’s taken home doubles titles at the Hobart International in 2013 and this year’s Marrakech Grand Prix. She and current partner Suarez Navarro were the runners-up at last month’s Madrid Open.