For the very first time since Eugenie Bouchard in 2014, Canada will be represented at the WTA Finals, which get underway on Sunday.
Competing in her very first WTA Finals, Bianca Andreescu will clash with Karolina Pliskova (2), Simona Halep (5) and Elina Svitolina (8).
Needless to say, the young Canadian, who’s soared 174 spots in the rankings since the start of the season, faces formidable opponents.
Pliskova reached the semifinals of the past two WTA Finals, Halep was a finalist in 2014 and Svitolina is the defending champion.
Still, seated at World No.4, our homegrown hero remains undaunted, since she’s already battled and defeated two players in the group.
In August, she overpowered Ace Queen Karolina Pliskova in a tight quarterfinal showdown at Rogers Cup in Toronto that had fans on the edge of their seats until the very last point (6-0, 2-6 et 6-4).
A few months earlier in Indian Wells, Andreescu thrilled the crowd with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win over Svitolina that secured her ticket to her inaugural WTA final. Facing Kerber in the definitive contest, she claimed the first of the three winner’s trophies she’s raised this year. Bianca and her childhood idol Simona Halep have yet to go head-to-head, but a merciless fight is expected.
Bianca and her childhood idol Simona Halep have yet to go head-to-head, but a merciless fight is expected.
Barty leads the Red Group
In addition to Ashleigh Barty (1), the Red Group is made up of Naomi Osaka (3), Petra Kvitova (6) and Belinda Bencic (7).
While Bencic is making her WTA Finals debut, Osaka is competing for the second time. Barty is on her third run at the event and very first in the singles draw, and Kvitova is at her seventh entry. She was crowned champion in 2011.
No doubt about it: a week of unbelievable tennis is in store!
The top two players in each group will then grapple in the semis. Who will reign supreme? Stay tuned!
Dabrowski in the Purple Group in doubles
Another Canadian, Gaby Dabrowski, and her partner Xu Yifan will jockey for the top position in the Purple Group in the doubles event. This year marks Dabrowski’s third consecutive appearance in the WTA Finals.
Dabrowski and Xu are in the same group as Hsieh and Strycova, Krejcikova and Siniakova and Stosur and Zhang.
This season, the pair lost twice to Hiseh and Strycova but outmaneuvered Kejcikova and Siniakova twice. They have never met up with Stosur and Zheng.
The Red Group includes Mertens and Sabalenka, Babos and Mladenovic, Chan and Chan and Groenefeld and Schuurs.
