- Game-by-game updates from the final in Singapore
- Email Daniel or tweet @DanielHarris
*Stephens 3-0 Svitolina (*denotes server)
Svitolina gets ahead in the game but then goes long with a backhand to evident fury. She’s working her way into things though, getting to 15-30 … so Stephens punishes a serve down the T then cleans up with a forehand. Still, though, at 40-30 a long rally and for the first time today, Svitolina steps into her groundstrokes, then a fine, deep return earns her break-back point. So Stephens comes in off a moderate approach and puts her first volley down the middle, but Svitolina’s pass isn’t good enough; she guesses right and puts away the winner. This is getting going now though! Svitolina wins another long rally – that’s what it’ll take for her – only to net a backhand slice! Already this looks like a pivotal game, and Stephens’s forehand takes care of the deuce point and her backhand the advantage one. She’s able to open her shoulders and override the slowness of the court in a way that Svitolina just can’t.
Stephens 2-0 Svitolina* (*denotes server)
Quickly, it’s 0-30, a Stephens forehand followed by a double fault. Svitolina just can’t handle that forehand at the moment, and has no scope to shorten the points, forced by another monstrous forehand to net before going long. A break to love – Svitolina looks seriously nervous out there.
Written by Daniel Harris
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2018/oct/28/wta-finals-sloane-stephens-v-elina-svitolina-final-live under the title “WTA Finals: Sloane Stephens v Elina Svitolina in final – live!”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
