Halep dominates Pennetta in WTA Finals opener

Romanian top seed Simona Halep dominated Italy's Flavia Pennetta 6-0, 6-3 on Sunday in the opening match of the WTA Finals in Singapore.

World number two Halep broke Pennetta three times in the first set, showing no signs of the left Achilles tendon injury that forced her to retire at the China Open three weeks ago.

Halep, 24, who was runner-up to Serena Williams in Singapore in 2014, became top seed this year following Serena's decision to withdraw from the season finale in order to rest.

"I have great memories from last year so I had confidence," Halep said after the match. "I played solid today."

US Open winner Pennetta, the eighth seed and at 33 the oldest player competing at the WTA Finals, put up a stronger challenge in the second set but was broken in the eighth game.

A long forehand by Pennetta sealed the match for Halep in Red group, which also includes Russian world number three Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who were scheduled to play later Sunday.

Pennetta had a 4-1 head-to-head advantage going into the match but Halep boasted a WTA-leading 40 match wins on hardcourts this season.

"She was playing really well today," Pennetta said, complimenting Halep's consistent serve. "Maybe I had not too much energy."

The Italian announced plans to retire this season when she won her first Grand Slam in September at the US Open against compatriot Roberta Vinci after beating Halep.

Halep admitted Sunday that she was nervous at their US Open meeting but learned her lesson.

"I have learned about how to manage the situation when you play semifinals, and I hope to have many more and to pass that bad feeling," she said.

Source: AFP