Kuznetsova, Pliskova Save Match Points In WTA Finals Thrillers; Kerber-Halep Tuesday

It was a thrilling Day 2 at the WTA Finals in Singapore Monday with both round robin matches going the distance and both winners had to save match points en route to victory.

First, defending champion Agnieszka made her debut going up against nemesis Svetlana Kuznetsova. The Russian who was the last player to get into the field had beaten Radwanska in 12 fo 16 meetings and looked on her way to another win after taking the first set 7-5.

Radwanska stormed back in the second for 6-1 and then held a match point at 5-4 in the third. But Kuznetsova rolled off the last three games of the match to take it 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 for her 13th win over the Radwanska.

“I mean, I don’t know. I know that I won last two matches in last month against Aga being match point down both matches, so it’s very hard to say,” Kuznetsova said.

“I’m just trying my best when I play her. She’s really tough. She’s No.3 or 4 in the world, so, I mean, you better maybe ask her about it. I don’t know. I mean, we always have tough matches, but I guess somebody has to win and more times it’s for me.”

The late match was just as thrilling as Karolina Pliskova saved a match points to deny Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5.

In the third set, Muguruza led by 4-0 and then held a match point at 5-2 before Pliskova reeled off the last four games (and 15 of the last 19 points) to take the match.

“To be honest, I didn’t feel really good in the practice week what I had here,” Pliskova said afterward. “I came on Wednesday, so I was here quite few days practicing. I didn’t feel that good.

“But I think today in the match I improved a lot and I felt much better during the match to find my game. With me it’s still the same. Everything is starting with the serve. Then I have to be active on the legs and still moving forward, because the surface here is kind of – I wouldn’t say slow, but it’s stopping somehow few balls.”

On Tuesday, the Red Group battle resumes with World No. 1 Angelique Kerber facing Simona Halep and then seeking their first wins it’s Madison Keys up against Dominika Cibulkova.

Halep leads the German 4-3 but Kerber has won three of the last four including the Cincinnati semifinals this past August.

“Every time when I play against Angelique is tough match. We play like three sets always,” Halep said Saturday. “I expect very tough one. She had great year. She won many matches, two Grand Slams. So I don’t expect anything. I just have to play what I have to play against her. I know her pretty well, so it’s going to be a tough one.”

TUESDAY SINGAPORE SCHEDULE
Start at 7.30pm
[1] Angelique Kerber (GER #1) vs. [3] Simona Halep (ROU #4)
Followed by
[6] Madison Keys (USA #7) vs. [7] Dominika Cibulkova (SVK #8)