Angelique Kerber was presented with the end-of-year trophy as the world’s number one player after all but booking her place in the knockout stage of the WTA Finals with a clinical 6-4, 6-2 win over Romania’s Simona Halep on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old was already assured of finishing 2016 at the top of the rankings after Serena Williams withdrew from the WTA Finals with a shoulder injury but it was officially recognised when she was handed the trophy and a sparkling diamond ring.
Kerber, looking sharper and more focused than she was in her opening round-robin victory over Dominika Cibulkova, posted a surprisingly lop-sided victory over the combative Halep, who had looked in ominous touch during her opening match win over Madison Keys.
Kerber, electing to receive first, broke Halep’s opening service game and despite later dropping her serve and falling 4-3 behind, the German reeled off the last three games in a row to take the opening set after just 43 minutes.
Kerber was even more dominant in the second set as Halep, one of the best returners in the game, struggled to impose her own game on the in-form German, who reached the top of the world rankings when she won the US Open last month.
Two service breaks gave Kerber the advantage she needed and although Halep saved the first two break points she faced with two spectacular winners, it was too little too late as Kerber wrapped up the win.
Despite winning her first two matches, Kerber still has a mathematical chance of missing out on the semifinals of the elite $7 million tournament after Keys beat Cibulkova 6-1, 6-4 in Tuesday’s other Red Group match.
The results: Red Group: Angelique Kerber (Ger) bt Simona Halep (Rom) 6-4, 6-2; Madison Keys (USA) bt Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) 6-1, 6-4.
