Radwanska grabs her big break in WTA Finals
Unfancied Pole gets a Grand Slam boost after winning WTA Finals
After winning the WTA Finals, Agnieszka Radwanska takes home a cheque for US$2,054,000 ($2.9m), which more than doubles her winnings for the year.
She started the WTA Finals championship match with a break, and she won it with a break.
At the end of an epic 125-minute battle at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, where she beat fourth seed Petra Kvitova 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 for the Billie Jean King Trophy, fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska was one emotional lady yesterday.
"First final in this big tournament, first win, it means everything to me.
"Two weeks ago, I didn't even know if I was going to be here. It is an incredible day for me, the biggest win of my career," said a tearful Radwanska, who has not won a Grand Slam in her decade-long professional career.
Her emotions were understandable given the nature of the rollercoaster match filled with unremitting drama, that ended with her becoming the first WTA Finals singles winner to lose two round-robin matches.
Living up to monikers such as The Ninja, The Magician and La Profesora, Radwanska zipped about the court with ease in the first set, conjured crafty service winners measuring just a little over 100kmh (the fastest women's serves are twice that speed) and conducted a clinic on drop shots from acute angles.
DROPPING A SET
Yet, the 26-year-old Pole then somehow contrived to lose the second set to Kvitova, the 2011 champion, despite a clean sheet in terms of unforced errors compared to the 25-year-old Czech, who made 14.
In the final set, Kvitova was the first to find a break to lead 2-0, but Radwanska then went on to break her opponent four times.
Even in the last game, Radwanska's return on Kvitova's serve clipped the net, dropped in for a 30-0 lead before she closed out the match to take home a US$2,054,000 ($2.9m) cheque that more than doubles her winnings for the year.
In the end, Kvitova hit 41 winners to Radwanska's 15 and still lost, proving that it is not all about power. Finesse can also win tournaments in the modern era.
Perhaps the champion summed it up best when she said: "At the important moments, I did the right things. It doesn't matter how I won actually, because I did it."
She added: "Petra was playing better after the first set. She played really aggressive tennis, very deep balls. She's got the best leftie serves on tour and I couldn't do much.
"But she also made mistakes, and I was able to catch up in the third set."
UNEXPECTED
A few days ago, even the most knowledgeable tennis expert would scoff at the prospect of a Kvitova-Radwanska final.
Radwanska began her red group campaign with losses to Maria Sharapova and Flavia Pennetta, and it took a win over top seed Simona Halep just to survive mathematically.
Her progress to the semi-final was confirmed only when Sharapova beat Pennetta, and she then beat second seed Garbine Muguruza in three sets to make the final.
Similarly, Kvitova had lost to Angelique Kerber and Muguruza in the white group. Only a win over compatriot and close friend Lucie Safarova - who subsequently did her a favour by beating Kerber - kept her in the hunt.
The second-chance theme continued in the semi-final when Kvitova recovered from 5-1 down in the second set en route to a straight-set win over Sharapova.
Having not beaten any top-five players prior to the WTA Finals, Radwanska has now beaten three in four days, giving her the confidence that she can follow in Amelie Mauresmo's footsteps and pick up her first Grand Slam title in the year after the WTA Finals triumph.
"Yes, for sure, especially as you also have to beat some of the top players in a row," said Radwanksa, who will leapfrog Kvitova to become world No. 5.
"It's even harder here because there's just the eight of us, the top in the world, and you don't have any first rounds to get used to the courts.
"But this is definitely a good start and I'll try to do just that (mimic Mauresmo's feats) next year."
BY THE NUMBERS: $2.9m
After winning the WTA Finals, Agnieszka Radwanska takes home a cheque for US$2,054,000 ($2.9m), which more than doubles her winnings for the year.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
