Guadalajara (Mexico), Nov 17: Garbiñe Muguruza dominated Paula Badosa in a 6-3, 6-3 victory and will play for the WTA Finals title for the first time in her career.
The sixth-seeded Muguruza, who lost in the semifinals in 2015, is the first Spaniard to reach the singles final since 1993, when Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario was runner-up to Steffi Graff.
“I’m very happy with my performance, it was the best match I played here in Guadalajara,” Muguruza said.
The 28-year-old Spaniard now has a 13-2 record on Mexican soil, where she won back-to-back titles in Monterrey in 2018 and ’19.
Mugurza awaits the winner of eighth-seeded Anett Kontaveit and fourth-seeded Maria Sakkari who play the other semifinal match later at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara.
Muguruza started the season-ending tournament with a loss to third-seeded Karolina Pliskova but bounced back with victories over second-seeded Barbora Krejcikova, Kontaveit and Badosa.
The Spaniard reached 41 victories this season, her most in a single campaign since 2017 when she finished with 45. Muguruza broke the seventh-seeded Badosa in the third game and then held to win the first set in 35 minutes.
In the second set, Muguruza had a break in the second game, saved a couple of break points in the third and never looked back. Badosa, who turned 24 on Monday, was the youngest player in the semifinals. The Spaniard finished a breakthrough season that saw her crack the top 10 for the first time in her career.
“It was a tough day, I did not feel myself and she played good, all the credits go to her,” said Badosa. “I don’t really know what happened today. I’m sad that I could not compete.” (AP)
