The second day of the 2017 WTA Finals in Singapore will bring the Red Group in the spotlight. Simona Halep, 26, will take on Caroline Garcia in what is expected to be a delightful encounter given their recent background. The Romanian will make her first official appearance as the world No. 1 while her opponent is set to make her debut party in Singapore. Garcia went on to win back-to-back titles in Wuhan and Beijing thus securing a last-minute ticket to Singapore.
Moreover, the Frenchwoman and Halep were the last two standing in Beijing's final.
These two will open the day while the second encounter of the Red Group will feature Caroline Wozniacki and Elina Svitolina.
Simona Halep starts her fourth bid in Singapore
It's been three years since the Romanian made her debut in Singapore. That 2014 season brought her into the elite of women's tennis. At her first appearance, she delivered in style defeating Serena Williams in the group stages, her first and only win over the American player. That year marked Halep's best result in Singapore as she made it to the final where a cautious Serena took her revenge. The previous two editions saw Halep unable to get past the group stages even though she went on winning her first matchup on each of the occasions.
Now, as the world No. 1, the expectations are even higher and it'll be interesting if she will handle the pressure or at least channel it in a way that can allow her to deliver the finest tennis. Another early exit here would almost certainly cost her the No. 1 seat next Monday.
Caroline Garcia with a meteoric rise
At 24, the Frenchwoman seems to have reached her full potential.
She first met glory as a double player along with Kristina Mladenovic. But, this season saw their partnership coming to an end with both performing well in singles. For Caroline Garcia, reaching the first Grand Slam quarterfinal earlier this year at the French Open stood as a triggering factor for her incredible surge later.
The Asian swing saw her winning a Premier 5 (Wuhan) and a Premier Mandatory (Beijing) to eventually leapfrog Johanna Konta in the WTA Race to Singapore leaderboard.
This event comes with a huge opportunity as she had nothing to defend and she may end the year even higher, maybe inside the top 5, a position that will certainly help her future efforts. It's a big test and only after its conclusion, Caroline Garcia may be put in the here-to-stay box.
