Kerber, Muguruza Win on Second Day of WTA Finals

The WTA Finals in Singapore continued on Monday with two matches, as Garbine Muguruza and Angelique Kerber both picked up straight set victories.

Muguruza, the youngest player in the tournament, beat Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova 6-3, 7-6(3) to win her first match of the finals.

The 22-year old Spaniard secured a break early on in the third game and went on to serve out the set. Safarova would rally in the second, taking an early lead, but Muguruza fought back to force a tiebreaker, and won seven of the 11 points in the breaker to notch the victory.

“It was a very tough match, I was very nervous as it was my first time here playing singles,” Muguruza said on-court after the match. “In Roland Garros, she played an amazing match—I played a good match also—but this time, I don’t know, I just wanted to win so much. I was fighting and concentrating very much.”

Muguruza will play Germany’s Angelique Kerber next.

Kerber defeated Petra Kvitova 6-2, 7-6(3) in the other singles match played on Monday.

Kvitova came in as the winner in the four previous matchups with Kerber, but the German, who missed out on last year’s finals after appearances in 2012 and 2013, played solid tennis throughout.

Despite falling down an early break, Kerber rallied to take the first set. Kvitova then built leads of 3-0 and 4-2 in the second set, but once again Kerber fought back, and forced a tiebreaker in the second set, eventually closing it out 7-3 .

“I’m so happy to win. Petra’s an unbelievable player and had a great year,” said Kerber, who came into this match with just one career win at the end of the year finals. “I’m just enjoying playing here, it’s my first time here and the fans are amazing. I was trying to move well. I was actually a break down in the first few games and I was just trying to be aggressive. In the end, it was very close so I just decided to go for it and I’m very happy that I got the win.”

Kvitova’s next match will be against fellow Czech Lucie Safarova.