GLOBAL CHICK CHECKS IN ON THE LADIES YEAR END TENNIS FINALS – DAY 1… NOODLING, RICING, SLICING AND DICING IN SINGAPORE, BUT NO “SLINGS” YET

Written by: Global Chick on 25th October 2015

BNP Paribas WTA Finals 2015 in Singapore

GLOBAL CHICK CHECKS IN ON THE LADIES YEAR END TENNIS FINALS - DAY 1... NOODLING, RICING, SLICING AND DICING IN SINGAPORE, BUT NO "SLINGS" YET

epa04994935 Maria Sharapova of Russia in action against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during their Women's Singles round robin stage match of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals 2015 held at the indoor stadium in Singapore, 25 October 2015. EPA/WALLACE WOON |

Is it Day 1, it could be Day 4 by this point. Who knows. All this chick knows is that I have one thing in common with the ambient atmosphere and jet-lag… and that is HAZE!

Here’s what the Global Chick has learned since arriving.

Back home, any self-respective takeaway pamphlet will boast Singapore Noodles – often a little spicy but nice and tasty. Here… they just call ‘em Noodles!

A photographer and I found out, much to our confusion yesterday that if you tip after scoffing many varieties of noodles… you get a very confused look from your waitress. Not happy with my fellow European’s nod of encouragement that the extra money was not a sign that neither of us passed Maths, she looked to me to put him right! Alas I was no help either!

People are super-friendly and will step up and want to help you with anything. All you need to do is look aimless and lost – a look I have perfected all my life! It’s good to actually BE at the event though, with the preamble having taken place at the Sands complex.

Our final drama of the day though was forgetting to get the all important blue dot on a badge – as we discovered traipsing off the media dining only to be told that we couldn’t eat there! All solved as this chick realised that with the lack of noodles on show chicken teriyaki and… umm… mash, was for the win.

Meanwhile, after scratching our heads at the bizarre first to 4 games or beyond format for the Rising Stars, we were finally off and running with the main event.

Simona Halep of Romania in action against Flavia Pennetta of Italy during a match in round one of the singles round robin stage of the BNP Paribus WTA Finals 2015 held at the indoor stadium in Singapore, 25 October 2015. EPA/WALLACE WOON

It was very nearly an early dinner for all as top seed Simona Halep fairly romped through the first set. With a level of efficiency to rival Singapore’s MRT (that’s underground, or subway to everyone else), she rattled Flavia Pennetta’s cage well and truly, wrapping up a first set bagel in just 25 minutes – almost as long as it takes to knock up a quick stir fry.

The US Open champ, in her first Singles WTA Finals since winning the doubles (with Gisela Dulko in 2010) made a better fist of it in the second set, but there was just something in the air (and we don’t mean the haze) as Halep needed just the one break to nudge ahead and wrap up a solid start to her campaign, winning 6-0 6-3.

Pennetta said, after the match: “The second set was much better. I was trying to find something more, to be more aggressive, and I was more close and I have my chance. I didn’t make it.

“I think I have to recover a little bit, to have more energy, to be more aggressive, and that’s going to be my goal for the next match for sure.”

Meanwhile a happy Halep admitted there was still room for improvement, but declared that it still had not been perfect.

She said: “I was well‑prepared and I knew how to play against her. I was expecting that she’s going to play the same like in US Open, and I knew how to adapt the game. So I was solid. I was smart‑aggressive, I can say. I didn’t use overpower. I just opened the court and I tried to finish the point.”

With a brief sojourn for more food (this time fried rice, because why not?!), we were back on court after the opening ceremony for Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska.

If Halep and Pennetta were speedy, this pair made sure that the crowd were going to get their money’s worth, point for point. We could expect Sharapova in particular to be a little rusty, having had to retire from her first match since Wimbledon in Wuhan. It was a good fight in the first set and it drew some of Sharapova’s most determined work, and some downright cheeky ninja-ness from Radwanska as the Pole just maintained her edge of form coming into this tournament, as she took the first set.

Have no fear though – Sharapova was not done by any means, catching Radwanska napping at the start of the second set, and it was enough to keep Sharapova in with a shout of her first win since seemingly when the earth was created!

Momentum is all, and after a mammoth hold clocking in at just short of 14 minutes, she was rewarded with a break, and that seemed to snap Radwanska’s spirit like a prawn cracker (which they sell as packet of crisps/chips here)!

It wasn’t over yet as the Pole broke back as Sharapova had edged ahead to serve for the match. Forcing Sharapova to serve it out again, for a fleeting moment it looked as though the tide was turning again, with Radwanska putting all the pressure on. But for the second time of asking, Sharapova clinched her first win since the Wimbledon quarter-final – 4-6 6-3 6-4

It was a tough loss for Radwanska who possibly had the best form of the group, coming into the match.

“I think she is just kind of player that even that she didn’t play for couple months, she’s always ready to play matches and always in shape to play really good match. I think we always playing three hours match in Championships, so I’m not surprised.

“I think it was really good match. I didn’t really use my chances. Couple of off games that I just slip away a little bit.

“Even when you lose you have chances to go for it. Of course no easy matches here, so I’ll be very happy to play the same tennis that I was playing today and we’ll see.”

For Sharapova though it was a vindication that her decision not to skip the tournament (don’t forget she still has the Fed Cup final in her sights) was a good one.

With relief and of course humour, she said: “I’ve had a lot of starts and stops, and I was just really thrilled that despite not playing these last few months and not playing my best tennis, I was facing an opponent that obviously deserved a spot in tournament and has had a really great last few months, and I just felt like I was able to take myself to another level physically, which I didn’t exactly expect that I would be able to.

“I know we have pretty long ones. I know a lot of you look forward to them. I do, too. I really do enjoy playing against her. I feel like those are some of the matches that I like to watch on TV, when different styles of games clash against each other. Becomes that bit of a cat and mouse game.

“That’s something that my father talked about so much when I was a young girl. Just have to figure out a way to win no matter how similar or different the games are. I think that combination just creates really good matches between each other.”

There will be more noodling from Singapore and maybe time even a cheeky Sling at Raffles as the action resumes on Monday with the singles both in the evening session.

Photo by Global Chick

Topics: Agnieszka Radwanska, Flavia Pennetta, global chick, Ladies tennis update, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep, Singapore, Tennis News, Wta

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10sBalls_com says:

October 25, 2015 at 11:45 am

GLOBAL CHICK CHECKS IN ON THE LADIES YEAR END #TENNIS FINALS – DAY 1… NOODLING, RICING, SLICING AND DICING… https://t.co/dZyp0ZTiVn