Caroline Garcia wins biggest title of her career at WTA Finals
Caroline Garcia won her biggest title of her career, clinching the WTA singles title in straight sets in the final of the Miami Open in front of her biggest rivals.
Garcia defeated Australian Samantha Crawford in the finals after a gripping match in a last-eight meeting where the veteran Spaniard’s back-to-back wins were overshadowed by the world number one’s controversial US Open semifinal loss.
Garcia, who won the last eight tournaments in a row in 2018 to become a two-time player of the year, had to come up with an extra-special performance to beat Crawford, who was in the final of all of her career grand slam finals.
Crawford, who had her own issues to deal with after winning her eighth WTA-crown, saw her semifinal run end after losing 6-7 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) to fellow Australian Daria Kasatkina.
“The pressure was there and it wasn’t helping me,” Crawford said. “I’m glad to have been able to see it through.”
She also saw another familiar face from her time on the WTA Tour, Australian number one Garbiñe Muguruza, take a surprise win in her second WTA final, beating fellow Spaniard Dominika Cibulková 6-4, 6-2.
Garcia, who has won her last eight grand slam singles titles, will be trying to claim her first WTA title in Miami when she plays world number one Simona Halep in the last 16.
“The Miami Open is the biggest event here and she’s playing against some of the best players in the world, one of them is going to be number one, so it’s going to be a big match,” coach Daniel Gimeno-Traver said.
Crawford was in the same position four years ago when she was beaten in the final of Wimbledon but this time, she said her experience of winning the most famous title of all time allowed her to have the mental edge.
“It’s nice