WTS Finals: Caroline Garcia serves it to Aryna Sabalenka

Fort Worth, November 8

France’s Caroline Garcia put on a serving masterclass to claim the biggest title of her career on Monday by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(4) 6-4 to win the WTA Finals here.

Garcia covered her face with her hands and fell on her back after a Sabalenka forehand sailed wide on match point to earn her fourth title of the year.

“Today was such an intense final,” a smiling Garcia said while donning a cowboy hat. “I’m very proud of how I was able to keep my mind calm and really focus on one point at a time, one game at a time.”

Both players’ thunderous serves were firing early and neither faced a break point in the first set of the final of the season-ending tournament, which features the WTA Tour’s top-eight players.

But in the tiebreaker the Belarusian’s second serve, which has bedevilled her at times this season, failed her again — first a costly double fault to fall behind 5-2 and then another on a set point.

Garcia kept the pressure on from there, breaking to open the second set and coming through a tense deuce game to seal the win in a match where she fired down 11 aces and never faced a break point.

“You bring so much energy on the court every time, it’s always a pleasure to watch,” Garcia said on stage at the indoor hardcourt tournament. “It’s great to have all your energy in women’s tennis. We really appreciate it.” — Reuters

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