Agnieszka Radwanska eliminated Garbine Muguruza from the WTA Finals with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 victory in their White Group encounter on Wednesday.
Both players squandered match points in their opening encounters, but defending champion Radwanska showed greater composure to come out on top this time with a controlled display that sent Svetlana Kuznetsova into the semifinals.
Muguruza played aggressively, but committed too many errors, with the Pole defending well to set-up a shootout for the semifinals in her final match against Karolina Pliskova.
The Spaniard ended a run of four successive breaks to hold for 4-4, but, after Radwanska dropped her serve for the third straight game, she was unable to see out the opening set.
Radwanska was irrepressible in the ensuing tie-break, winning six straight points, the last with a low cross-court backhand, to take the advantage.
Muguruza chased the match, but after moving 2-0 up in the second set Radwanska began to repel everything she threw at her. The world number six was left frustrated when a wide forehand volley put the Pole in control of the second set.
A hold to love and a classy final game saw Radwanska complete the victory, replicating her triumph over the Spaniard in the last four of the 2015 edition.
Kuznetsova revels in new-found fear factor
Svetlana Kuznetsova believes opponents fear her more because of the renewed grit and determination she shows under pressure.
Kuznetsova was the last player to secure her place at the WTA Finals, beating out Johanna Konta by winning the Kremlin Cup in her native Russia last weekend.
She has won her opening two matches in Singapore against Agnieszka Radwanska and Karolina Pliskova in three sets, the latter a 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) on Wednesday, and she believes her increased resilience is proving key.
"I play with my heart – I always did … but some things are just starting to work right now. Maybe I start to believe a bit more and I just hang in there more," said Kuznetsova.
"Some things come together and you get confidence and I see opponents fearing me more than before because I win matches, I fight. It doesn't matter if I play like c**p and I'm sore, I'll just be there.
"It's the last matches of the year and my year has been quite good compared to the last five seasons, especially with winning two matches in the championships for the first time in my career – it's like a miracle because normally I was like, 'Jesus, round robin again'.
"This year I came and said whatever I just play each match. I already appreciated being here because it was at the last moment."
Pliskova admitted she felt the effects of a draining three-set match in her shoulder, adding that it is tough to compete with an opponent who is as confident as Kuznetsova.
"I think the first set the serve was okay and then I just didn't find my rhythm. I took off the speed a little bit and I felt a little bit [of discomfort in] my shoulder, so that's why maybe the first serve was not that fast and not that good," said Pliskova.
"She has a different game. She is right now playing some of her best tennis – you saw it the last two shots she played. That title in Moscow probably helped her a lot.
"She's feeling confident and it's always tough to play someone like this. I just think it was so close, though, there was not that many bad things that I did wrong."
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Agnieszka Radwanska [2] bt Garbine Muguruza [5] 7-6 (7-1) 6-3
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Radwanska - 17
Muguruza - 27
ACES
Radwanska - 4
Muguruza - 3
BREAK POINTS WON
Radwanska - 6/10
Muguruza - 4/5
FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE
Radwanska - 54
Muguruza - 68
PERCENTAGE OF POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE
Radwanska - 72/48
Muguruza - 48/46
TOTAL POINTS
Radwanska - 72
Muguruza - 56
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