(Fort Worth) Caroline Garcia won a tight opening set and eventually earned a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s singles final match of the WTA Finals on Monday night .

Sixth player in the world, Garcia became the second Frenchwoman to win the end-of-season tournament on the women’s circuit after Amélie Mauresmo, in 2005. It was the last time, before this year, that the tournament had been held in the United States.

At 29, Garcia is the oldest winner of the tournament since Serena Williams, who was 33 in 2014 when she emerged victorious from the annual event.

There was only one break of service in this match bringing together the WTA leader for the number of aces in 2022 (Garcia) and the one (Sabalenka) who had obtained the most since the start of the tournament.

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Garcia converted that break point in the first game of the second set, and eventually handed seventh-seeded Sabalenka just a third defeat in 12 hard-court finals.

Sabalenka, who was trying to become the first player from Belarus to win the WTA Finals, had reached the ultimate match after beating world number one Iga Swiatek on Sunday in the semi-finals.

En route to a fourth title this season, Garcia rivaled the power of Sabalenka from the start of the confrontation.

In the tiebreaker, the Frenchwoman won six points in a row, a streak she capped with her 10e ace of the set to give himself a 6-2 lead. The third double fault of Sabalenka’s set allowed Garcia to complete the first set.

Garcia started the second set with two break points. She only needed one. His forehand winner on a return of serve gave him the lead for good.

The duel ended when Sabalenka sent a forehand over the baseline to Garcia’s second match point. After the blow, she let herself fall on the court, on her back, with both arms raised.

Earlier in the evening, Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens beat defending champions Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 in the women’s doubles final.

Kudermetova and Mertens have won six straight points after trailing 7-2 in the deadlock.

They ended the debate on their second match point.

Kudermetova and Mertens had won in less than an hour in the semi-final, against Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs.

Mertens and Sabalenka were doubles champions in 2019 at Flushing Meadows and in 2021 at the Australian Open.

Krejcikova and Siniakova have won the final at each of the three Grand Slam stages where they were entered this year.

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