Radwanska out-thinks Muguruza to reach her first WTA final
Pole makes her first final in seventh tournament appearance
No player has lost two round- robin matches and gone on to win the title at the WTA Finals.
But don't bet against Agnieszka Radwanska making history today at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
The Pole, sporting a heavily strapped right thigh and taped across her shoulder throughout the tournament, has been playing a lot of tennis since the US Open in September, trying to claw her way here.
She is hurting, she is not at 100 per cent, and the fifth seed was hardly mentioned when talk revolved around the potential players to hoist the Billie Jean King trophy at the Indoor Stadium.
Yet, she is one match away from winning the biggest title of her career, after knocking out Spain's highly touted Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 in the semi-finals yesterday.
TEARS
It was clear from the tears that welled up in her eyes after she won match point what victory meant.
Playing in her seventh WTA Finals, Radwanska has finally reached the showpiece match, where she will face Petra Kvitova tonight.
Explaining her emotional on-court interview later, she said. "It was pretty much everything. I was just so happy to get through that match. I didn't really expect to be in the semis after the first two losses, and now it's the final.
"So, that was really big match. There was a lot of emotion during that match, I think all three hours.
"I'm just so relieved that it's over and I won."
The 26-year-old has earned a reputation as one of the rare "thinkers" in a modern game dominated by power players and, before yesterday's match, had been nicknamed "La Profesor" - The Professor, in Spanish -by her opponent.
Second seed Muguruza, making her WTA Finals debut, took the first set 7-6, showing guts to come back from 4-1 down in the tie-breaker to win 7-5.
But, having played a 2hr 33min epic against two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova just a day earlier, fatigue took its toll.
Radwanska raced to a 4-0 lead in the second set, eventually winning 6-4.
The Pole again started strongly in the third, leading 4-1, and while Muguruza fought back to make it a tense finish, Radwanska pulled off the win with some stunning shot-making.
Radwanska insisted she didn't care who she faced in the final.
"For me, it doesn't really matter.
"Really, I have nothing to lose. I just hope I can play the same great tennis I was playing today."
World No. 3 Muguruza, tipped by many of the game's greats to be the next big star in women's tennis, was all smiles after the match.
She may yet win a WTA Finals title.
The Spaniard and Carla Suarez Navarro will play top-seeded duo Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza in the doubles final today.
Said Muguruza: "I was obviously tired from yesterday from Kvitova, but I think today was a very tough match.
"I think Aga played very well today. I am just a little bit disappointed, obviously, to lose.
"But I'm happy. I did an amazing effort and I'm proud of how I played here all the matches."
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