페북 ID: @Living Next Level: Between Europe and Korea
인스타 ID: @mewanderer99
1. WTA Elite Trophy, Zuhai, China
ABOUT
The 2018WTA Elite Trophywas a women's tennis tournament played at theHengqin International Tennis CenterinZhuhai, China. It was the 4th edition of the singles event and doubles competition. The tournament was contested by twelve singles players and six doubles teams.
The field consists of the top eleven players not already qualified for the 2018 WTA Finals, plus either (a) the 12th-player not qualified for 2018 WTA Finals, or (b) a wild card. The final two alternates for the 2018 WTA Finals will be eligible to play in WTA Elite Trophy even if they participate in the WTA Finals.Point totals are calculated by combining points obtained from sixteen tournaments. Of these sixteen tournaments, a player's results from the fourGrand Slamevents, the fourPremier Mandatorytournaments, and (for Top 20 players at the end of 2018) the best results from twoPremier 5tournaments must be included.
The singles event features twelve players in a round robin event, split into four groups of three. Over the first four days of competition, each player meets the other two players in her group, with the winner in each group advancing to the semifinal. The winners of each semifinal meet in the championship match. The six doubles teams will be split into two round robin groups, with the winner of each advancing to the final.
POINTS
SEEDS
FINALISTS
Asleigh Barty (Australia, left) defeated Wang Qiang (China, right) in two sets, score 6-3 6-4.
WINNER
Asleigh Barty (Australia)
FINAL HIGHLIGHTS
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2017 WINNER: Julia Gorges (Germany, right) defeated Coco Vandeweghe (USA) in the final
2016 WINNER: Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic, right) defeated Elina Svitolina (Ukraine)
2015 WINNER: Venus Williams (USA) defeated Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic)
안녕 folks and welcome to the summary of the last major tennis event of the year!
Elina Svitolina, the last champion of Singapore
WTA Finals Singapore. It was the last edition played in Singapore. Starting next year, the finals are moving to Shenzen, China. I must say that this tournament was full of great matches, I have never seen so many quality matches concetrated in only one week. My favorite, Kiki Bertens played excellent and managed to get out of the groups. So proud of her!
The 2018 finals featured five major champions and one finalist. The competitors were divided into two groups, representing the colors of the flag of Singapore. Following there is a table with the final standings of the two groups. Stephens and Svitolina were unbeaten in the group stage, which kind of predicted who will be in the finals. However, it was harder than everybody had thought.
In the semifinals Svitolina met Bertens and she needed 3 sets to be able to defeat the Dutch, and reach her first final at this tournament. Stephens didn't have an easy match either with Pliskova. She lost the first set 0 to 6, and everybody thought she is was out of the competition. But the Roland Garros runner-up showed why she deserves to be among the best of best. She crushed Pliskova in the following two sets, and reached the final of her first Singapore tournament.
For the first time since the current round robin format was reintroduced in 2003, the first two matches played in each group were all won by the lower-ranked player. It also the first time that the top four seeds were eliminated in the round robin stage (group stage), leaving the fifth to eighth seeds to qualify for the semifinals.
SEEDS
In paranthesis - the stage the player left the competition
GROUP STAGE
SEMIFINALS
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THE FINAL
It was the first WTA final for both players, with Svitolina at her third participation and Stephens at her first. Svitolina lost the first set, but managed to comeback and become the first player of her country who lifts the Billie Jean trophy.
The 2018 WTA Finalsis a women'stennistournament held inKallang, Singapore. It is the 48th edition of the singles event and the 43rd edition of the doubles competition.The tournament is contested by eight singles players and eight doubles teams. This is also the final year for Singapore to hold this tournament.
FORMAT AND POINTS
The eight qualified players are divided into two groups, the red group and the white group. According to the points won in the groups, the players in each group will be ranked from 1 to 4. Players ranked on the first two positions will go into the semifinals. First place from one group will play second place from the other group and viceversa.
The point system of this tournament is a bit complicated, but I'll try to explain it here.
For every match lost in the group stage +125 points
For every match won in the group stage +250 points
For semifinals +0 points (no points)
For runner-up + 330 points (added to those won in the group stage)
For the champion +750 points (added to those won in the group stage)
PARTICIPANTS AND DATES OF QUALIFICATION
Simona Halep was the first to qualify to the tournament, but unfortunately her lower back injury forced her to withdraw. Her place was taken by the world No 9, Kiki Bertens. I hope Kiki will have a good tournament! An feel very sorry for Simona. She got in top 8 for the first time in 2014, and she never missed the WTA Finals qualification. It is a shame she cannot play now, in spite of being the year-end number one.
Now here is a picture of last year's participants. Below it, a picture with this year's participants. 4 of the players who qualified last year, managed to stay in top 8 and qualify this year, too. They are Halep, Wozniacki, Svitolina and Pliskova.
2017 Singapore Finals Participants: Garcia, Williams, Svitolina, Pliskova, Ostapenko, Muguruza, Wozniacki, Halep. If you want to read the story of last year's tournemant go here.
Kiki Bertens and Karolina Pliskova are fighting for a place in the Singapore Finals. See a live ranking of the players at the end of this post. Unfortunately Simona Halep announced that she is withdrawing from the Kremlin Cup, as her lower back issues continue to bother her.
FINALISTS
Daria Kasatkina(Russia) defeated Ons Jabeur (Tunisia), score 2-6, 7(7)-6(3), 6-4. She lost the first set and when she was almost losing the second one too, with Jabeur leading 4 to 1, her coach came on court and told her that she has to go, serve and if it has to lose, to lose like a champion. Coaching was effective, Daria came back and pushed the set in tiebreak. And then, she played extraoridarily in the third set, with the fans on her side, cheering at every point. Jabeur's leg injury may have helped, but in the end Daria ended it like a champon. Congratulations!
WINNER
Daria Kasatkina (Russia)
FINAL HIGHLIGHTS
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2017 WINNER: Julia Gorges (Germany, left) defeated Daria Kasatkina (Russia)
Only the first 8 players go to the Singapore Finals. So far, Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki, Naomi Osaka, Petra Kvitova are qualified, and the WTA website announces Sloane Stephens has qualified too. Among Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova and Kiki Bertens, who do you think will miss the qualification? Personally I like a lot all these players, but I have only seen Bertens on court, I saw her amazing game in Seoul, so I really hope she can make it! Good luck!
The 2018 Tianjin Openis a women's professionaltennistournament played onhard courts. It is the 5th edition of the tournament, and part of the2018 WTA Tour. Ittakes place at theTuanbo International Tennis CentreinTianjin,Chinabetween 8 and 14 October 2018. Maria Sharapova was the defending champion but chose to end her 2018 season early due to injury.
French Caroline Garcia defeated Czech Karolina Pliskova, score 7(9)-6(7) 6-3
Second-seeded Caroline Garcia won her first tournament of the
year with a 7-6 (7), 6-3 win over top-seeded Karolina Pliskova in the Tianjin
Open on Sunday. It was the 16th-ranked Garcia’s first title since she won
back-to-back trophies at the Wuhan and Beijing tournaments in Asia just over a
year ago. The Frenchwoman’s two titles at the end of last season earned her a
spot into the year-endWTA Finals in Singapore. This year, the victory in
Tianjin is not enough to put Garcia into a second consecutive year-end final
appearance.
Pliskova’s failure to take the title also kept her from
confirming a berth in the WTA Finals. Currently in eighth place in the race to
Singapore, the Czech will have to wait out the results from next week’s
tournaments in Luxembourg and Moscow to see if she qualifies for one of the
three remaining spots. Pliskova is scheduled to play in Moscow. American Sloane
Stephens, Ukrainian Elena Svitolina and Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens are the other
remaining contenders for Singapore.
Garcia was down 1-5 in the first set tiebreaker before she
rebounded. She saved a set point for Pliskova at 5-6 to go on to win the
hour-long first set. In the second set, Garcia raced to a 5-0 lead, and first
served for the match at 5-1, but had to wait for her victory to come three
games later. She secured the title with her sixth ace of the match.
WINNER
Caroline Garcia (France)
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2017 WINNER: Maria Sharapova (Russia, left) defeated Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
2. HONGKONG OPEN, CHINA
ABOUT
The 2018Hong Kong Tennis Open(also known as thePrudential Hong Kong Tennis Openfor sponsorship reasons) is a professionaltennistournament played onhard courts. It is the ninth edition of the tournament, and part of the2018 WTA Tour. It takes place inVictoria Park,Hong Kong, from October 8 to 14.
1. Hana Cupid Japan Women's Open, Hiroshima, Japan
ABOUT
The 2018 Japan Women's Open is a women'stennistournament played onoutdoor hard courts. It is the tenth edition of theJapan Women's Open, and part of theWTA International tournamentsof the2018 WTA Tour. It is held at the Regional Park Tennis Stadium inHiroshima, Japan, from September 10 through September 16, 2018. This is the first year that the tournament is held in Hiroshima.