In the first ever all-Spanish semifinal at the WTA Finals, Garbine Muguruza eased past Paula Badosa 6-3 6-3 to reach the title match in Guadalajara.
The sixth-seeded Muguruza cruised through the first set, breaking the seventh-seeded Badosa twice while not facing a single break point herself. The two-time Grand Slam champion’s first serve percentage was 73% in the opening set and she lost just three points when she landed her first serve.
The 24-year-old Badosa held her first break points in the third game of the second set, but Muguruza fought off all the three and consolidated a break she had earlier earned for a 3-0 lead. That one early break proved to be crucial, as Badosa never managed to recover from the deficit and Muguruza came out on top after one hour and 25 minutes of match play.
The 28-year-old Muguruza is the first Spanish woman to make the final of the season-ending tournament since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1993. By reaching the title match at the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara, the former world No.1 can rise to No.3 in the WTA rankings. Badosa is projected to move to No.8 from her current position No.10.
