The WTA Finals draw has set up match-ups we’ve been craving all year as top-seeded Serena Williams has landed in the same group as Eugenie Bouchard and Simona Halep.
While the top-eight players who will face off in Singapore this week are no strangers to one another, the two showdowns we are yet to witness in 2014, are Williams-Bouchard and Williams-Halep.
But thanks to the draw, that took place in front of huge crowds that lined the boutiques of The Shoppes at the iconic Marina Bay Sands resort, the defending champion will get a shot at both Bouchard and Halep, who join Williams and Ana Ivanovic in the Red Group.
It is a group that could prove challenging for Williams, who through illness and injury, was forced to withdraw ahead of her most recent match, against Sam Stosur in Beijing, and retired from her opener against Alize Cornet in her previous event in Wuhan.
Bouchard has had a breakthrough season and is the only player to make the quarter-finals or better in all four majors this year, including a final appearance at Wimbledon.
Halep, ranked No3 in the world, also had a stellar season where she was runner-up at the French Open and made the semis at Wimbledon and quarters at the Australian Open.
Meanwhile, Ivanovic, who will be playing the Finals for the first time since 2008, started her year with a bang, winning her first nine matches of 2014, which included a fourth round victory over Williams at the first major of the season in Melbourne.
But the daunting draw is not discouraging Williams, who insists she is ready for battle at the Singapore Indoor Stadium come tomorrow.
"I think everyone here is here to win. Everyone here is tough. Every match is going to be tough, so you have to be ready for that. I haven’t played Bouchard this year, and I think she’s been the most consistent in all the grand slams, so she’ll be a really tough match," said the world No1, who is searching for a fourth consecutive year-end championships title (won in 2009, missed 2010-2011, won 2012-2013).
"I don’t care who I play, to be perfectly honest with you. You can put me against anybody at this point, I’m ready. I really can’t wait for my match. I wish I had a match tomorrow."
Bouchard was in Singapore early in the year to promote the WTA Finals and the 20-year-old returns as one of the elite eight who have qualified for the season finale.
Asked if she ever thought she’d be here when she first came to Singapore many months ago, Bouchard said: "I had no idea, and I don’t think many people thought I would do it either. But I was just hoping for it. I worked hard all year and it turned out well so I’m really excited to be back in Singapore."
Second-seeded Maria Sharapova headlines the White Group, which includes ex-world No1 Caroline Wozniacki, reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, and world No6 Agnieszka Radwanska.
Sharapova heads into the WTA Finals coming off a title win in Beijing earlier this month and the French Open champion knows she can leave Singapore as the year-end No1, with just 446 points separating them in the rankings.
A poor run from the defending champion and a strong one from the Russian could see Sharapova replace Williams as world No1.
"At this event, with a round robin draw of the top eight players, there’s no easy draw for anyone," said Sharapova.
"I’m quite happy with my group. I think every match will be a challenge. There are some players that I’ve lost to this year, and some players that I beat, so it’s a little bit of everything. I hope to start on a good note."
The round robin action starts tomorrow with the top two of each group advancing to the semi-finals on Saturday.
RED GROUP
Serena Williams
Simona Halep
Eugenie Bouchard
Ana Ivanovic
WHITE GROUP
Maria Sharapova
Petra Kvitova
Agnieszka Radwanska
Caroline Wozniacki
