Spain's fast-rising Garbine Muguruza beat Lucie Safarova in straight sets on Monday to prove she's a force to be reckoned with at the WTA Finals and avenge her defeat at Roland Garros. Muguruza, the freshly anointed world number three and the second seed in Singapore, overpowered the Czech in the first set and edged the second to take it 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
The powerful Spaniard scored two breaks in the first set and recovered from an early break of her own service in the second to get it back on serve at 3-3. Safarova, the world number nine, fought off four break points to make it 4-4 before the set went to a tie-break - which Muguruza won handily 7/4 to wrap it up in just under two hours.
Both were Grand Slam runners-up this year to Serena Williams: Muguruza at Wimbledon and Safarova at Roland Garros, where she beat the Spaniard in straight sets in the quarter-finals. "In Roland Garros she played an amazing match. I think today I played a very good match also," Muguruza said. "I just wanted so much to win. I was fighting and you know, just very concentrated," she added.
Muguruza has risen up the rankings after reaching the Wuhan Open final and winning in Beijing this month, reaching a career high of third in the latest listings. At the eight-player season finale, Muguruza and Safarova are in the White Group round robin together with Angelique Kerber of Germany and Czech Petra Kvitova.