France’s Caroline Garcia scored the most important victory of her profession with a straight units defeat of Aryna Sabalenka to win the season-ending WTA Finals on Monday. Garcia relied on an outstanding service recreation to overpower her Belarusian opponent 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 at Fort Worth, Texas. The 29-year-old from Lyon is just the second French participant to win the WTA title after Amelie Maursemo in 2005. With each sixth-seeded Garcia and seventh-seeded Sabalenka serving fantastically all through, Monday’s ultimate was settled by the best of margins.

Garcia seized the initiative within the first set tie-break after each girls had held to get it 6-6.

Remarkably, neither participant conceded a break level throughout a hard-fought first set.

But the query of who would blink first was answered within the breaker as Sabalenka’s composure instantly abandoned her.

A wayward Sabalenka backhand return plopped into the online to offer Garcia a 4/2 lead within the tie-break.

On the following level, Sabalenka double-faulted at hand the Frenchwoman a 5/2 lead.

Garcia introduced up 4 set factors with an ace for a 6/2 lead.

Although Sabalenka recovered to win the following two factors, she double-faulted once more at hand Garcia the set.

A clearly rattled Sabalenka was quickly in bother within the second set, struggling a break on the primary recreation after Garcia drilled a winner up the road.

That break proved decisive as Garcia by no means regarded like surrendering the initiative, holding for the rest of the set earlier than serving for the match at 5-4.

Promoted

She earned her first match level when Sabalenka yanked a backhand return vast for a 40-30 lead.

Although Sabalenka saved that match level with a backhand down the road, Garcia regained match level with a booming serve earlier than changing on the following level.