After the WTA Finals enjoyed a smashing debut in Singapore last year, there was always the worry of how the tournament would live up to its first-year success in its second staging in 2015.
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And when Serena Williams – the world No1 and three-time defending champion – announced she was pulling out of the ‘Elite 8’ season finale, naturally, concerns grew over how it would affect the level of competition, ticket sales and attendance figures.
The fact that most of the players who had qualified were carrying injuries, coming off lay-offs or recovering from illnesses also didn’t help. Going into Singapore, the expectation was the competition would resemble more an episode of The Walking Dead than an exciting Dillon Panthers game from Friday Night Lights.
Thankfully, we were proven wrong and the ladies ended up delivering some incredible matches – a few that would make the shortlist of best clashes of the season.
Would the WTA Finals have been better with Williams in it? Absolutely. But did it need Williams to succeed as an event? It appears not.
While we’re waiting on official attendance figures for the event this year, the 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium had strong crowds for a majority of the sessions, including doubles.
The Maria Sharapova-Agnieszka Radwanska three-set battle on opening day set the tone for the week and you got the feeling that every other match after that was just pure entertainment.
Well done @ARadwanska I am so proud of your commitment to qualify for and win the #WTAFinalsSingapore
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) November 1, 2015
Credit must be given to Sharapova, who came into the event having played just half a match since Wimbledon, and with many question marks over her readiness. But like a true champion, the Russian went to Singapore ready to compete and her surprising volleys and slices added spice to her already impressive game.
Sharapova’s return to action, Flavia Pennetta’s swansong, Garbine Muguruza’s Asian flourish, Radwanska’s redemption tour, Petra Kvitova’s fight against mono, Lucie Safarova’s double duty act and Angelique Kerber’s quest for a bigtime win… each one of these women provided a gripping storyline and the final product was a real thriller.
There is always the criticism that there is inconsistency at the top of women’s tennis but one thing that must be said about this year’s WTA Finals is that it was consistently high quality. If these players can take this form and attitude into next season, we could see a very different dynamic at the top.
As for Singapore, they might want to rethink their two sessions per day scheduling, which they introduced this year, and could use with promoting the Rising Stars Invitational a bit more.
