By Tennis Now | Monday, October 28, 2019
Defending champion Elina Svitolina topped Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (12), 6-4 for her fourth straight win over the WTA ace leader in her WTA Finals Shenzhen opener.
Studying the oncoming ball as if trying to inspect its label, Elina Svitolina read Karolina Pliskova's serve with studious intent.
The defending WTA Finals champion continued to write a winning script in Shenzhen.
More: Federer Withdraws from Paris
A precise Svitolina broke the WTA ace leader three times defeating Pliskova 7-6(12), 6-4 for her seventh straight win at the season-ending event.
The victory puts Svitolina, who went undefeated winning the WTA Finals title last year, on top of the Purple Group and continues the Ukrainian's purple patch against the former US Open finalist.
It was Svitolina's fourth consecutive conquest of Pliskova and came a year after the eighth-seeded Svitolina scored a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 triumph over Pliskova in her 2018 WTA Finals opener.
"I was just trying to be ready for her big serves and then try to take on her second serves," Svitolina told Andrew Krasny afterward. "I just tried to move quickly and react quick. The surface is a little bit slower and I think it benefitted my return. I just tried to focus on what I had to do and in the end I got the win."
It was a fast start for Pliskova, who broke to open and confirmed the break at 15 for 2-0.
This match-up pits Pliskova's power and flat strikes against Svitolina's superior movement and precise counter-punching skills. Working the angles, Svitolina broke back for 2-all.
Neither woman was tested to deuce for the rest of the opening set that escalated into a high-quality tie break that saw Pliskova dig in and deny six set points.
The second-seeded Pliksova opened the court effectively but sailed a forehand long to face set point at 5-6.
Playing determined defense, Svitolina forced Pliskova to attack off her weaker backhand wing and the Czech complied cranking a clean crosscourt backhand winner to save set point.
Going right back to her opponent's backhand, Svitolina provoked a shanked error celebrating with a clenched first and scream for a second set point. Pliskova calmly erased it flicking a forehand winner down the line for 7-all.
In this tie break, the Czech lived and died by the down the line drive. Pliskova steered a backhand down the line wide to face a third set point and unleashed a flurry of forehands to deny it.
At 9-8 Pliskova held set point, but Svitolina read a drop volley and bumped a backhand pass down the line to save it. Pliskova punished a forehand return down the line saving a fourth set point.
On Svitolina's sixth set point, Pliskova bolted a backhand winner down the line.
Undaunted, Svitolina kept pushing forcing the tall Czech to play another shot.
On her seventh set point, Svitolina closed when Pliskova scattered a backhand wide.
"It was probably one of the longest tie breaks I played," Svitolina said. "In the end, I was just playing one point at a time and trying to focus on my tennis. In the end, I won the tie break. It was too long, I think."
Perhaps Pliskova was thinking the same thing. Svitolina was 28-2 when winning the first set this season, while Pliskova was 9-11 when dropping the opening set.
Empowered by that fierce first-set fight, Svitolina converted her third break point to start the second set with the break. The defending champion rolled through a two-ace game for 2-0.
Though Pliskova broke back to level after four games, Svitolina was gaining traction on the Czech's second serve and earned her third break of the match for 4-3.
The 25-year-old Ukrainian saved two break points serving for the match. Staying low, Svitolina swept a forehand down the line for match point and closed with a serve down the middle.
"Definitely a big privilege for me; I'm still not sure I believe I won last year," Svitolina said of her title defense. "It's amazing to come back to such a big event and compete with the top eight players.
"It's a big honor for me and I'm enjoying every moment."