WTA Finals Shenzhen Purple Group Preview: Halep vs. Svitolina

Standings screenshot from shiseidowtafinalsshenzhen.com

If you are going to play Elina Svitolina,  it’s best not to do so at the WTA Finals. With her victory over Karolina Pliskova on Monday, Svitolina increased her record to 7-2 at the year-end championships. Her point by point mentality has served her well in these daunting draws. Despite winning the fewest matches in her title-less season, the Ukrainian is off to a promising start in Shenzhen, as she gears up to face Simona Halep on Wednesday.

Halep should be playing freely after saving match point against Bianca Andreescu with clutch line painting and championship-level poise. After receiving treatment on her foot and spirited visits from coach Darren Cahill, the Romanian was too strong mentally and physically in the third set, handing Andreescu her second successive three-set defeat.

Halep and Svitolina are even at four wins apiece in their head-to-head series, with Halep winning both meetings in 2019 at Doha and Wimbledon, where Svitolina reached her first major semifinal. Both play a similar brand of tennis, combining stellar retrieving with controlled aggression from the baseline. What Svitolina lacks in athleticism compared to Halep, she makes up for in grit and determination.

According to the oddsmakers, your guess is as good as theirs. This match is a true pick-em. Assuming Halep’s foot is not an issue, expect her to rise to the occasion and hand Svitolina her first loss at the WTA Finals since 2017. Winner: Halep