Anett Kontaveit continued her superb form as she made a winning start at the WTA Finals against Barbora Krejcikova.
The Estonian was barely in the running for the year-ending championships during the first half of the season but, after losing a fifth match in a row on August 17, she went on a run of 26 wins out of 28, securing four titles and breaking into the top 10 for the first time.
Her confidence levels were still sky-high as she began her campaign in Guadalajara, dispatching French Open champion Krejcikova 6-3 6-4 to secure a Tour-leading 38th hard-court win of the season.
Like Kontaveit, Krejcikova – the only winner of a 2021 grand slam singles title at this year's Finals – was making her debut at this event, but she started in inauspicious fashion as she dropped serve in the fourth game after winning just one point against Kontaveit's serve in her opening two return games.
Kontaveit's powerful serving and groundstrokes kept her comfortably ahead in the first set, which she took at the second time of asking with an ace.
Krejcikova was broken again at the start of the second set. Her one opportunity to level, when a sublime drop shot put her 30-0 up on Kontaveit's serve, was snuffed out before she could muster a break point.
From then on, Kontaveit had the contest in her grasp, securing an 11th consecutive win when Krejcikova slapped a backhand into the net.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Krejcikova – 20/34
Kontaveit – 17/16
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Krejcikova – 2/5
Kontaveit – 8/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Krejcikova – 0/0
Kontaveit – 2/3