By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, November 3, 2019
World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty beat defending champion Elina Svitolina for the first time 6-4, 6-3 to win the WTA Finals championship and collect a record champion's check of $4.42 million.
Photo credit: WTA Finals Shenzhen Facebook
Ashleigh Barty elevated her magical season to pure magnificence.
The world No. 1 unleashed a dynamic all-court attack dethroning defending champion Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3 to capture the WTA Finals Shenzhen championship—and a record champion's check of $4.42 million.
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It is Barty's seventh career title in her WTA Finals singles debut continuing a dazzling run through the 2019 season that saw her win the Miami Open, capture her first Grand Slam championship at Roland Garros, rise to world No. 1, lead Australia to the Fed Cup final and collect the biggest single payday in tennis history.
The woman whose one-handed slice backhand set up her forehand throughout this final had her hands full after the match receiving the year-end world No. 1 trophy, the Billie Jean King Cup awarded to the WTA Finals champion cup and that lucrative check.
The 5'5" Barty called the season-ending event's Shenzhen debut "a new era" in women's tennis yet she prevailed with a throwback style of play and a classy disposition throughout a momentous season.
"It's been the most incredible year, but I think first and foremost congratulations to Elina and your team," Barty said. "You’ve had an exceptional year, you’re one of the toughest competitors on the tour and I know we’ll have many may more battles in the future so congratulations."
Svitolina entered this final with a sparkling 13-2 career record in finals and a two-year unbeaten streak at the season-ending finale, but was often pushed back behind the baseline and struggled to generate enough offense to deter Barty.
"Definitely was a great week for me," Svitolina said. "First of all, I want to congratulate Ashleigh for a great tournament and great and amazing all year. It's very special to finish the year as No. 1. It’s always a big dream, congratulations."
Winless in five prior meetings against Svitolina, the 23-year-od Aussie was the aggressor at crunch time snapping Svitolina's 10-match winning streak at the season-ending event.
The eighth-seeded Svitolina had slammed 27 aces combined in her prior two matches, but managed just two aces today. Barty broke to end the opening set then closed the second set with three consecutive breaks.
The top seed won the coin toss and elected to serve. Neither woman was tested on serve in the early stages.
Showing her smooth all-court skills, Barty angled a low backhand volley holding for 4-3.
Empowered by double-digit aces in her prior two matches, Svitolina was moving her serve around the box effectively. The Ukrainian used her lob to set up a backhand pass leveling after eight games.
The Ukrainian followed an exceptional lob forward to knock off a forehand drive volley for the first break point of the match in the ninth game. Barty saved it then slashed a forehand drive down the line to help her hold.
The Roland Garros champion made her move in the 10th game. Barty backed Svitolina up with the slice, drew the mid-court ball and banged a forehand down the line for set point. Barty had a good look at an inside-out forehand but dragged it wide.
Opening the court with the crosscourt forehand, Barty zapped a bounce smash for a second set point. This time, the Aussie attacked down the line and approached net, but Svitolina threaded the needle with a forehand pass.
A net cord dribbled over giving Barty a third set point. The Ukrainian’s first serve abandoned her in the game and Barty made her pay. Dancing around her backhand, Barty banged a forehand return winner down the line closing the 44-minute first set with the lone break.
Given her winless history against Svitolina, Barty needed a strong start and got it.
The defending champion flipped the script earning the first break of the second set for a 2-1 lead on a Barty double fault.
Of course, a break is not really a break unless you confirm it and Svitolina did not.
Contesting her sixth final of the season, Barty is one of the best players on tour finishing forward. Throwing down another smash, the 23-year-old Aussie broke right back in the fourth game then rolled through a love hold for 3-2.
Trying to alter the momentum, Svitolina called out coach Andrew Bettles, who advised his charge to keep the ball out of the middle of the court, target the Aussie’s weaker backhand wing and use her own backhand down the line.
“Go hard and fast into the backhand side,” Bettles said. “She’s going inside in a lot to the forehand…Use your backhand line—you’ve hit some really good ones. The second serve, you’ve got to find her backhand side.”
Moments after her coach’s caution, Svitolina was burned by a Barty forehand down the line to face break point. Beneath mounting stress, Svitolina cracked putting a timid second serve into net to gift Barty the break and a 4-2 lead.
Answering that jittery game, Svitolina steadied herself and broke right back in the seventh game. Attacking the Aussie’s backhand, Svitolina drew a pair of backhand errors wrapped around a double fault to get back on serve.
The top seed’s skill around net was clear in the eighth game as Barty navigated a cat-and-mouse exchange guiding a forehand pass down the line for double break point 80 minutes into the match. Svitolina saved both, but Barty caught the edge of the sideline with a backhand then broke when Svitolina sprayed a wild backhand wide of the line.
Serving for the championship, Barty ripped a forehand into the corner for triple championship point.
When Svitolina put a forehand into net, Barty closed a one hour, 28 minute victory—and collected the record champion’s check of $4.42 million.
The woman who once took a two-year sabbatical from tennis to play pro cricket has returned empowered by perspective, passion and a greater appreciation for the game.
"I think for me it was a bit of a no-brainer," Barty said of her time away from tennis. "I needed to take the break. Otherwise I don't think that I'd still be playing the game, to be honest.
"I think it gave me an opportunity to go and relax and see kind of what it was like to kind of have a normal life, because the tennis tour and the tennis life is very unique. It's very different. It's not for everybody."