SINGAPORE — Garbine Muguruza made an imposing start to the WTA Finals by confidently swotting aside Czech Lucie Safarova 6-3 7-6 (4) in their White Group opener on Monday.
The 22-year-old Spaniard served confidently, raining down 10 aces, and controlled the baseline exchanges on the slower indoor hardcourt at the Singapore National Stadium to continue her strong form.
The world number three, runner-up at Wimbledon this year, broke French Open finalist Safarova in the third game of the first set and pressurised her serve throughout a one-sided opening salvo.
Muguruza, who won the biggest title of her career at the China Open earlier this month, broke again to take the set but her opponent finally found some rhythm on the Spaniard's serve to break at the start of the second.