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WTA Tour early wins: breaking down the best starts to 2018

By Harry Floyd

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 06: Elina Svitolina of Ukraine kisses the winners trophy after winning the WomenÕs Final match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Bulgaria during day seven of the 2018 Brisbane International at Pat Rafter Arena on January 6, 2018 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 06: Elina Svitolina of Ukraine kisses the winners trophy after winning the WomenÕs Final match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Bulgaria during day seven of the 2018 Brisbane International at Pat Rafter Arena on January 6, 2018 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) /
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WTA Tour action is underway in 2018. Several top players from the previous year are off to stellar starts so far. Here’s a look at the early action.

The 2017 WTA Tour saw Romanian Simona Halep end the year with the world No. 1 ranking. Now, the top player in women’s singles tennis is off to exactly the start she wants in 2018.

Halep edges Katerina Siniakova in the Shenzhen Open final on Saturday to take home her first title on the year. The world No. 1 wins their finals meeting in three sets, going 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 to earn the title. Showing resilience, Halep has once again proved why she is one of the best in women’s tennis right now. The final in Shenzhen saw interruptions due to rain and was eventually moved indoors. Nothing, however, could stop Halep from kicking off her 2018 tour with a win.

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Also winning a title in the first weeks of the 2018 WTA Tour is Elina Svitolina. The world No. 6 is a rising star in women’s singles tennis. Her strong 2017 has set her up to have an impact right at the start of 2018. Svitolina becomes the first woman to claim a title in the new year.

Elina Svitolina wins the 2018 Brisbane International.

Cruising through her finals match with ease, Svitolina defeats qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich to win the Brisbane International. She takes the match in straight sets, going 6-2, 6-1.

The 23-year-old Ukrainian tennis star has become a headline name in women’s singles tennis. It appears as though she will continue to be a player to beat on the 2018 WTA Tour. Her week in Brisbane also included wins over top players such as Johanna Konta and former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova. Look for Svitolina to be a top contender at the upcoming 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Last year, she reached the third round of play at the Grand Slam.

Next: Top 10: Men's Singles Tennis

Another player off to a hot start in 2018 is WTA Finals champion Caroline Wozniacki. It comes as no surprise that the Danish tennis star is cruising through play in Auckland. She reaches the finals at the tournament, facing Julia Gorges of Germany on Saturday. Pressure was on Wozniacki to perform well this week as the top seed.

Win or lose in her final though, the impressive run in Auckland is exactly what the former world No. 1 needs in early January. She and others such as Halep remain in search of their first career Grand Slams. The strong starts to the 2018 WTA Tour for several of the best in women’s singles tennis only makes the upcoming Grand Slam even more interesting. Stay tuned to see how the best in women’s tennis fare in the coming weeks. Check back for updates on all of the early 2018 WTA Tour action. With the Sydney International going down this week, we are just one week away from play at Melbourne Park.

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