Keep the ball between the white lines: it is, as any tennis player knows, the easiest thing to say, and often the hardest to do. When the stakes are high and the pressure is on, even the best in the world can struggle with the over-the-net, in-the-court basics. The conditions in Guadalajara, the city in western Mexico where the WTA Finals are being staged at a quite literally breath-taking 1,500 metres above sea level, have added a fresh dimension to this eternal tennis truth.
In a sport where the difference between success and failure is frequently measured in millimetres, it has been jarring to see the spectacular margins by which shots have gone astray over the first two days of the season-ending showpiece. Players who would not normally miss a regulation groundstroke in a month of Sundays have sent balls soaring beyond the baseline. Serves have sailed long and returns flown wide. It has been a battle of the basics.
In such circumstances, it is natural to assume the most adaptable players are best equipped to prosper. But as the versatile Barbora Krejcikova discovered on day one, having options can cloud the issue. Despite some fine shot-making, the wily Czech was unable to tailor her game to the conditions, committing an uncharacteristically high 34 unforced errors as she was undone by the compact strokes and tactical clarity of Anett Kontaveit.
For Krejcikova in Group Teotihuacán, read Iga Swiatek in Group Chichén Itzá. With her heavy topspin, all-court game and quick movement, Swiatek would seem to have all the tools necessary to deal with the lively conditions in Guadalajara. Yet the drawbacks inherent in her unorthodox forehand technique, and her continued vulnerability on the second serve, were brutally exposed in her opening match against Maria Sakkari.
Time and again, Swiatek went wide or long, or made poor decisions with her shot selection. Landing a telling drop shot against an opponent as fleet of foot as Sakkari requires immaculate execution at the best of times; attempting it repeatedly in an environment where control is at a premium felt ambitious indeed. The Pole’s woes were further magnified by a poor performance on serve. Six double faults and a first-serve success rate of just 48% tell their own story. It was all too much for the 20-year-old, who broke down in tears at the back of the court and received a time violation as a result. This was Swiatek’s third successive defeat against Sakkari, and she admitted afterwards that their previous meetings had preyed on her mind.
“I kind of remembered how it was in Ostrava and Roland Garros when Sakkari broke me, and I had flashbacks from those matches,” said the former French Open champion, who, in scenes that recalled her emotional defeat to Paula Badosa at the Tokyo Olympics, left the court with a towel draped over her head. “I was just frustrated and sad that I couldn’t overcome the stress. I keep forgetting that I still have time to learn how to do that.
“I feel like it’s a big deal and I’m feeling a little bit ashamed that my level was like that. So I was just feeling pretty sad.”
For all Swiatek’s travails, the excellence of Sakkari was undeniable. Energised and focused throughout, the Greek delivered a masterclass in handling the fast conditions, moving brilliantly, striking her groundstrokes with ample margin, and serving with lethal consistency.
“It was a very solid match from my side,” said Sakkari, who lost just one point behind her first delivery and did not face a single break point. “Obviously my serve really helped my game. I felt quite good with the altitude. I could control my shots pretty well. I think every day I’ll feel even better.”
Having dispatched her opponent in ruthless fashion, Sakkari showed her more compassionate side afterwards, greeting Swiatek at the net with a warm embrace and a word of consolation.
“More than anything, we’re human,” said the sixth-ranked Sakkari. “She’s only 20 years old. She’s going to have many more chances than I’ll have in the future, because it’s only the beginning for her. I saw that she was struggling. It wasn’t a nice thing to see from the other side of the net. She’s a very, very nice girl. We always have great practices and great chats. It was something natural. It wasn’t something that I did just for people to see that I’m a good person or anything. I could see that she was struggling, and just felt like doing it.”
In the second match in Group Chichén Itzá, Aryna Sabalenka suffered a 6-4, 6-0 dismantling at the hands of Paula Badosa. Sabalenka, playing just her second match since the US Open after contracting Covid-19 in Indian Wells, got off to a strong start and held three points for a 5-2 lead in the opening set. Badosa, however, perhaps encouraged by the memory of her dramatic three-set win over the Belarusian in Cincinnati earlier this year, kept making balls, and was rewarded for her doggedness when Sabalenka missed two consecutive forehands to gift the break back. Frustrated and struggling to find the court, Sabalenka won just one more game.
“After I lost serve [at 4-2], I was really disappointed with myself and emotionally I was, like, really crazy,” explained Sabalenka. “I couldn’t just stop myself, and kind of put myself back in the match.”
Sabalenka admitted on the eve of the tournament that she had been shocked by her inability to control the ball when she started practising in Guadalajara, and things were little better here.
“It’s a little bit tricky, the conditions,” agreed Badosa. “First when I come here with the altitude, I thought maybe playing with more spin could help. Then I see that sometimes it doesn’t help. I try to maybe play more flat and more aggressive. I’m just trying and adjusting all the time. I think it’s very important to stay intense every point, just go for it. I know, and I have to accept, that I’m going to miss more than normal. Still I think I played a very good match, and I’m really happy.”