The 26 year old of Poland defeated Czech star Petra Kvitova in a three set final to win the BNP Paribas WTA Tennis Championships in Singapore.
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The odds were stacked against her: Kvitova is a two-time Wimbledon champion who boasts a superior 6-2 win-loss record against her coming into tonight’s final. She had won all four of their other meetings this year and it looked like that pattern was going to continue Saturday as she dug out of a 4-1 hole to win the first set tie-break.
Sharapova and Muguruza had won all three of their group games and were favourites to advance to the final considering Kvitova and Radwanska had both only won one match. On her first set point, she blasted a forehand down the line to send the match into a decisive set.
Radwanska was now on top and it was Muguruza who was now struggling, losing her serve in the second game and going 4-1 down. She came off the canvas, however, to stun the Romanian with a 7-6(5) 6-1 victory to deliver the straight-sets win she needed and then watched as Maria Sharapova beat Flavia Pennetta in two sets to send her through to the last four courtesy of sets won.
“First final in this big tournament, first win, it means everything to me”.
Fighting back tears, Radwanska thanked the crowd as she described the “biggest day” of her life.
“I didn’t expect this, for sure”, Kvitova said in her on-court interview after the match.
The fifth seed battled for a hold to go up 5-4, but Muguruza showed no nerves as she held easily to take the opening set.
Just how well did Radwanska play in the final?
Kvitova opened the second set serving, but it was Radwanska who mounted the pressure in the opening game of the set with a backhand stab slice victor to give her a 15-30 lead.
Credit has to be given to Kvitova for being the more aggressive player in this one, getting more angles and taking advantage of Sharapova’s errors.
Agnieszka Radwanska said her surprise win at the WTA Finals could be just the confidence boost she needs as she seeks to end her search for a maiden Grand Slam title next year.
Radwanska’s guile and ability to make her opponent always have to play one more shot has established her as one of the most awkward customers on the WTA Tour.
Radwanska claims the year-end No. 5 ranking with the victory, and ties Kvitova on the WTA’s active title list with 17.
Radwanska, the only Polish player to ever compete at the WTA Finals, had become the 16th WTA player to reach the 500-win mark earlier in the season.
“I lost first two matches, but it’s not like I was playing bad”, Radwanska said. “The energy was a bit better in practice and Sania just played out of her mind – she was everywhere today – on her side, behind me – it’s about choosing the right partner!”
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Radwanska lost her first two matches of the showpiece in the Far East, but has responded in emphatic fashion and had too much for Spaniard Muguruza – who misses out on a place in the final on her debut in the tournament.
