Caroline Wozniacki Wins Biggest Title of Her Career - Mondays with Bob Greene

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Caroline Wozniacki beat Venus Williams 6-4 6-4 to win the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in Singapore

Lucas Pouille beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1 6-4 to win the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna, Austria

Roger Federer beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-3 to win the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland

Corentin Moetet beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2 7-6 (8) to win the Open Brest Arena Credit Agricole in Brest, France

Mihaela Buzarnescu beat Alison Van Uytvanck 6-4 6-2 to win the Internationaux Feminins de la Vienne in Poitiers, France

SAYING

“I’m happy the season is finished right now. I will finish on a high. You know, in a month’s time, I will start preparing for the next season, but for now I will not be touching a racquet for the next four weeks.” – Caroline Wozniacki, after winning the biggest title of her career, the WFA Finals Singapore.

“It’s never over until the fat lady sings, and I’m not fat.” – Venus Williams, following her victory over Caroline Garcia to reach the WTA Finals title match.

“It’s not really goodbye. I hope I’ll still be part of the game.” – Martina Hingis, announcing her retirement from tennis for the third time.

“This is the last thing that I’m thinking about now. I improved from last year, which was my goal.” – Karolina Pliskova, who by not winning the WTA Finals will not finish the year with the number one ranking.

“I think we’re both tired from a long season … so we tried to give it all we had. The crowd really enjoyed themselves and at the end there is always going to be a winner unfortunately in tennis.” – Roger Federer, after beating Juan Martin del Potro to win the Swiss Indoors for an eighth time.

“Roger was there playing high-level tennis for two and a half hours. He was better in key moments and he won.” – Juan Martin del Potro, following his loss to Roger Federer in the Swiss Indoors final.

“Every match is tough match here because all the players who got here, they play at very high level.” – Jelena Ostapenko, on the field at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore.

“I have worked extremely hard to be the best player I can be, and it is an honor to be in the number one position at the end of the year.” – Simona Halep, who is the 13^th player to wind up the year number one in the WTA rankings.

“I can’t believe we pulled this match through – they played so well. We were not playing as great as before and were a bit nervous. We were just more brave in the end.” – Andrea Hlavackova, who teamed with Timea Babos to win the WTA Finals doubles title.

“We were so much more powerful and aggressive. I really believe big champions have to do this.” – Timea Babos.

“This is definitely one thing I won’t miss: waking up, having to go train, like doing all of this over and over again.” – Martina Hingis, retiring for the third time.

“I survived, I’m still standing. I’ve been playing a lot of matches” – Juan Martin del Potro, after reaching the Swiss Indoors semifinals, his third straight ATP World Tour semifinal.

“I’m very proud of this year. It’s not going to change. … I improved so many things and that’s what I’m going to take from it.” – Garbiñe Muguruza.

“Just because you’ve never lost a set, people expect it to keep happening. But every day you feel different. It’s hard to start out and play your absolute best next time.” – Roger Federer, after losing the first set to Adrian Mannarino before beating the Frenchman for the fifth straight time.

SINGAPORE DELIGHT

Caroline Wozniacki capped her comeback year with the biggest title of her career. The one-time world number one beat Venus Williams for the first time to win the WTA Finals at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It was only the second tournament victory for Wozniacki in 2017. And it was the third big tournament in which Williams came up with win short. She also lost in the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon. “Eight is my lucky number,” said Wozniacki, who had lost her first seven meetings with the elder Williams. “If I was going to beat her once in my career, it had to be today.” When Wozniacki won the opening set, it was only the second set she had taken off Williams. Then the Dane raced out to a 5-0 lead in the second set before Williams rallied, taking four straight games. “I didn’t seem to come up with my best tennis until it was too late,” said the 37-year-old American, who was playing in her first WTA Finals since 2009. Playing her defensive game to perfection, Wozniacki controlled play until the second-set surge by her opponent. But she kept her cool and, on match point, ripped a backhand down the line. “I couldn’t be happier right now,” Wozniacki said. “It’s been an amazing year. Last year was tough with injuries, but I fought my way back and to stand here and win the title means a lot to me.”

SWISS MASTER

After dropping the first set, Roger Federer rallied to win his eighth Swiss Indoors title, stopping big-hitting Juan Martin del Potro. It was Federer’s 95^th ATP title, snapping his tie with Ivan Lendl to move into second place on the all-time list behind Jimmy Connors’ mark of 109. Federer finally beat del Potro in a Basel final after losing to the Argentine in both 2012 and 2013. “It’s unbelievable how well Roger is playing,” del Potro said. “I hope to be in such shape when I’m his age, but I doubt I will be.” Del Potro took the lead when he broke the 36-year-old Federer in the third set. But Federer broke the Argentine twice in a row to turn the match around. Serving for the title, Federer missed on his first match point when made a forehand error. But he followed with a serve wide in the deuce court that del Potro couldn’t handle. “he returned well and broke me playing good tennis,” del Potro said. “I have little things to improve and I can learn from this match.”

SWITCHES OUTCOME

In a battle of Frenchmen, it was Lucas Pouille who came out on top. Pouille, who had not won a set against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in their two previous matches, dropped only five games in his Erste Bank win over his countryman. “It’s been a great week for me,” Pouille said. “Of course, when you play Jo, you expect a very tough match, but I am very happy with the way I played.” He won five straight games to take the opening set, then broke Tsonga once in the second set to capture the title. With the victory, Pouille becomes the only player on the ATP World Tour this year to win titles on all three surfaces, winning on clay in Budapest, grass in Stuttgart and hard court in Vienna.

SECURES FIRST TITLE

Timea Babos and Andrea Hlavackova won the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore doubles title for the first time, coming from behind to beat the unseeded team of Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson in a match tiebreak. Since teaming up in May, Babos and Hlavackova have won five titles, but none bigger than season-ender in Singapore. Bertens and Larsson took the opening set with a backhand by Larsson on her team’s second set point. “I felt we were already in the cemetery,” Babos said of her feelings after the first set. “They were all over us and we had to change something.” And they did, becoming more aggressive and taking the second set to send the match into a tiebreak. Bertens double-faulted to start the tiebreak and Hlavackova finished off the next three points at net. Five of the match tiebreak’s 15 points were ended by Hlavackova, but when it came to match point, it was Babos who sealed the title with a poach.

STEPS AWAY – AGAIN

Martina Hingis has called it quits. Again. Hingis lost in her final appearance, in the doubles semifinals of the WTA Finals, but earlier in the week had announced for the third time in her career that she was retiring. Despite the defeat, Hingis ended her career with the yard-end number one ranking in women’s doubles alongside per partner Chan Yung-Jan. “Of course, it’s disappointing to finish a tournament like this,” Hingis said after she and Chan lost to Timea Babos and Andrea Hlavackova 6-4 7-6 (5). “I’m sure we both wish for a better ending and, you know, winning the trophy, but they were just too good today.” Hingis and Chan had won nine titles this year, including the US Open. The 37-year-old Swiss star was hoping to end her career with a fourth WTA Finals doubles title; she won twice with Anna Kournikova and once with Sania Mirza. “You have defeats, but it still gives you a lot,” said Hingis, who already has been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.” I think it’s been an amazing career that I can be proud of. I’ll definitely miss it at some point in my life. But like I said, it’s not really goodbye. I hope I’ll still be a part of the game. ,,, I definitely will come and watch and be still part of this tour and whatever you want to call it.”

SWISS GREATS

Roger Federer credited Martina Hingis with helping him become a record-breaking Grand Slam tournament champion. The two won the Hopman Cup in 2001, the only time they teamed up. “Martina was partially the one who showed me how it was done,” Federer said. “It was great for Switzerland to have someone of her caliber. We were very lucky. I loved playing with her at the Hopman Cup. She was always super friendly. I loved that about her.” Hingis won her five Grand Slam tournament singles titles before injuries drove her into her first retirement in 2003 when she was just 22. That also was the year Federer won his first major title at Wimbledon. Hingis returned to tennis two years later, but retired for a second time after failing a drug test at Wimbledon in 2007. “I’m not sad to see her retire,” Federer said. “She’s been in the game for long enough, she seems at peace with her decision. That’s wonderful. I’ve always been a fan of her and I always will be.”

SECURES TOP SPOT

Simona Halep is the 13^th player to wind up a year ranked number one in the world since the inception of computer rankings in 1975. She is the first player from Romania to achieve the feat. “Simona has had a great season, winning the title in Madrid and reaching the final at Roland Garros, said Colm McLoughlin, executive vice chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free. Halep is the 25^th player to be ranked number one in the world after she reached the China Open final in Beijing. “I’m very proud to end the season as the WTA World number one,” Halep said.

SKIPPING PARIS

Roger Federer won’t be playing in this week’s Paris Masters, virtually ensuring Rafael Nadal will end up the year ranked number one in the world. Federer withdrew from Paris after winning his eighth Swiss Indoors title, beating Juan Martin del Potro in the final. “My body is asking for a break,” Federer said. “Basel takes a lot out of me emotionally. I had five matches in six days. I feel sorry and sad for Paris. I love to play at Bercy, it’s a few times now that I’ve not played there. It’s a tough one, but they have to understand that it’s for the cause of staying injury-free and healthy. I’d like to be fully fit for (the ATP Finals in) London and for 2018.”

The ATP World Tour said Nadal can clinch the year-end number one ranking by winning his first match in Paris against the winner of a first-round match between Mischa Zverev and Hyeon Chung. “I did think about the ranking, but I’m so far back in the points race that it was almost out of the question,” Federer said. “I asked myself what I would do if the ranking (issue) was not there. I want to stay injury-free, not push it and maybe get hurt next week and then miss London. It would be a snowball. It was not really about the ranking, to be quite honest. If I was closer in the points race, it might have been.”

SUPER JUNIORS

Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori won the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Masters boys’ title by defeating top-ranked Wu Yibing of China 3-6 6-1 7-6 (4). “It’s amazing, it’s hard to find words for how happy I feel right now,” the 18-year-old Ruusuvuori said. “It can be my springboard for the pro circuit, it’s a huge challenge and that’s going to be such fun.” Playing in Chengdu, China, Wu was looking to end his junior career with the winner’s trophy. He had won both of their previous matches, at the US Open junior boys competition in September and in the round-robin stage at Chengdu. And he took charge in the opening set of the final. “Wu was playing so well in the first set, I knew I had to change something,” Ruusuvuori said. “I slowed the play down, changed the shape of all my shots to make it awkward for him.” It worked, although Wu remained dangerous throughout the match. “A match like this can turn in one point, and I missed a few easy balls,” Wu said. “I tried to stay aggressive and I felt so much pressure, but his defense was incredible.”

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine won the ITF Junior Masters girls’ title by stopping Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-4 6-3. Third in the world in the ITF rankings, Kostyuk trailed in both sets before beating Juvan for the second time in the Chengdu tournament. “I actually have no idea how I won the first set,” Kostyuk said. “It was so fast, you know, everything. I started to lose fast and then I won fast.” The victory boosted the Ukrainian to a career-high ranking of second in the world behind top-ranked Whitney Osuigwe of the United States. Osuigwe won the battle for third place, stopping Maria Lourdes Carle of Argentina 6-2 6-2.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Basel: Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers beat Fabrice Martin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-5 7-6 (6)

Brest: Sander Arends and Antonio Sancic beat Scott Clayton and Divij Sharan 6-4 7-5

Poitiers: Belinda Bencic and Yanina Wickmayer beat Mihaela Buzarnescu and Nicola Geuer 7-6 (7) 6-3

Singapore: Timea Babos and Andrea Hlavackova beat Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson 4-6 6-4 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Vienna: Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas beat Marcelo Demoliner and Sam Querrey 7-6 (7) 6-7 (4) 11-9 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Paris: www.rolexparismasters.com/

Zhuhai: www.wtaelitetrophy.com/

Milan: www.nextgenatpfinals.com/

Bratislava: www.tennisslovakopen.sk/uvod.html

Limoges: www.engieopendelimoges.fr/