Simona Halep (click to enlarge)
Day one of the 2016 WTA Finals thankfully is over. I always have mixed emotions when two of the players on my current tennis fandom Mt. Rushmore play. In this case it was my top favorite, Madison Keys, taking on Simona Halep (the other two on my current Mt. Rushmore are Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova, both of whom, for different reasons, are not in Singapore). So while I applaud Halepeno for her 6-2 6-4 victory, it’s tough to see Maddie open up round robin play in a hole. Although Agnieszka Radwanska won Singapore last year with 2 losses in round robin play, that’s not an ideal plan to try to qualify for the semifinals with multiple losses. What Aga did was the exception, not the rule. Keys must win against Dominika Cibulkova on Tuesday and should root for Simona to beat Angelique Kerber. Angie outlasted Domi in their opening round robin match, 7-6 (5) 2-6 6-3. If Keys and Halep win their matches Tuesday, it opens the possibility of both of them making the semifinals out of the Red Group if Maddie can go on and defeat Kerber on Thursday. Here’s hoping that scenario comes to fruition.
ALL PICS CLICK TO ENLARGE
3 SIMONA HALEP d. 6 Madison Keys, 6-2 6-4
with Martina Navratilova
1 ANGELIQUE KERBER d. 7 Dominika Cibulkova, 7-6 (5) 2-6 6-3
Fairways and Forehands 