SINGAPORE: World number six Agnieszka Radwanska beat Garbine Muguruza 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday to reach the championship round of the WTA Finals for the first time in Singapore.
The defensive tactician drew on her deeper experience to down the fast-rising Spanish star and will face either five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova or Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in Sunday's final.
"I have no words to say really," a tearful Radwanska said as the crowd cheered.
"I didn't know if I could come back after that first set, but I think it was a great match from the beginning until the end, so many rallies and a lot of running. I'm just so glad I could win this match in the end."
Radwanska, 26, is making her seventh attempt to win the season finale, with sees the world's top eight players fight it out for the year's last title.
A championship trophy in Singapore will be the biggest career win for Radwanska, who reached world number two in July 2012 and is now ranked sixth.
The physically imposing Muguruza, who was also playing on the doubles side of the tournament in Singapore, showed signs of fatigue after winning the first set in a tight tiebreak.
The 22-year-old, making her debut in the WTA Finals after winning the China Open in Beijing, was hoping to be the first Spanish winner of the elite tournament after sweeping all three round-robin matches.
But the Wimbledon runner-up, who won her last four of six meetings with Radwanksa, was broken seven times in the match as her opponent piled on the pressure from the start of the second set.
It was the second straight year that Radwanska has managed to get to the semis despite posting a 1-2 record in the round robin stage.
But that only win was a straight-sets conquest of top seed Simona Halep -- and the 500th career win for Radwanska.
Muguruza was broken in the opening game of the second set and squandered a break point in the next game to give Radwanska a 2-0 lead.
Radwanska raced to a 4-0 lead before the Spaniard managed a hold.
Muguruza broke back to 4-2 on a Radwanska double fault and held in the next game to get within striking distance of a game win.
But the Pole held to 5-3 and sealed the set with an easy volley.
In the third set, Radwanska advanced to 3-0 as Muguruza's errors piled up.
The Spaniard managed to hold in the next game but gave Radwanska a 4-1 lead when a forehand sailed long.
Muguruza clawed back to 5-5 before Radwanska prevailed.
Comments
Comments are closed.