Taipei Times
Date: Nov 04, 2019
By: Agencies, with staff writer SHENZHEN, China

Top-ranked Ash Barty yesterday won the WTA Finals trophy, beating defending champion Elina

Svitolina in straight sets, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova won their semi-final in the doubles, but fell in the final yesterday to Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic.

Barty had not beaten Svitolina in five previous attempts, but she dominated yesterday, winning 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour, 26 minutes at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.

The Australian claimed US$4.42 million — the biggest ever awarded in men’s or women’s tennis.

Barty, like Svitolina, dropped the opening set of her semi-final on Saturday before beating Karolina Pliskova 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.    [FULL  STORY]