SHENZHEN: Ashleigh Barty finished the season in style by beating defending champion Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3 to add the WTA Finals title to her end-of-year world number one ranking on Sunday.
Barty, who became the first Australian to top the WTA rankings at the end of the year since they were introduced in 1975, capped a stellar season in Shenzhen having also won the French Open at Roland Garros in June.
Barty became the first Australian to win the WTA Finals since Evonne Goolagong Cawley claimed her second title in 1976.
“It feels like it’s been a year that just hasn’t stopped,” said Barty, who pocketed a record $4.42 million for her victory in Shenzhen, where the tournament was being held for the first time as part of a 10-year residency.
“It’s been a year of incredible ups and downs, I think more ups than downs. To cap it off with a very, very special night tonight in Shenzhen is really cool. To come through a week like this, you have to beat the best of the best.”
Svitolina has not won a trophy since claiming the WTA Finals in Singapore last year, which remains the biggest title of her career. She had lost just one set before the final to be on track to claim a maximum prize of $4.725 million before falling short in the decider.
The Ukrainian had taken a liking to the slow indoor hard court, which has been criticised by other players, with her methodical counterpunching overwhelming opponents — but she was thwarted by an irresistible Barty.
Barty, who came through the round-robin standings with a 2-1 record this week, was unable to find a breakthrough against Svitolina until the 10th game when she created three break point opportunities, finally taking advantage of the third with a forehand return winner to score the opening set.
There were five service breaks in the first eight games of the second set, leaving Barty leading 5-3 and serving for the match.
Svitolina smacked a backhand crosscourt way wide on a second break point in that eighth game to seal her fate with Barty then serving out the match at love for her first career victory over the Ukrainian player in six matches.
“I think she was playing great match today,” Svitolina said. “She was on it 100 percent. Then it was very, very tough. I missed just little bit of my chances and that’s what made the difference. But she’s No. 1 in the world for a reason, so.”
Hungary’s Timea Babos won the doubles title for the third year in a row, partnering with Kristina Mladenovic from France to see off Barbora Strycova and Hsieh Su-wei 6-1, 6-3 in the final.
“We played some great tennis,” said Babos. “There was no-one out there on this tournament who could beat us. That’s really amazing. Of course, to share it with Kiki, to play on the biggest stage with her, to get the title together, it’s an incredible story. I’m just really, really happy to lift that trophy again.”
