Garbine Muguruza beats Safarova in WTA Finals debut

“It was a very tough match, I was very nervous as it was my first time here playing singles”, Muguruza said.

The No. 2 seed was suitably chuffed, and indeed articulate about her win, saying: “Obviously to go there and play and win for the first time, it’s great”. I just wanted so much to win. “I mean, it’s just something what I really can’t do anything against”.

Safarova served five double faults as she was beaten in an hour and 56 minutes, although Muguruza admitted she felt a few nerves.

Muguruza was threatening to run away with it, but Safarova did well to keep pace and force a tie-break.

Kvitova was diagnosed with mononucleosis in August and has struggled with her stamina.

The 22-year-old is the youngest in the field at the year-ending tournament, has enjoyed a meteoric rise this year.

Safarova, who missed the entire Asian swing with a bacterial infection, saved a set point in the ninth game.

The Czech regrouped and used deft net play to put up a strong challenge in the second set, with both scoring three breaks each in furious cross-court exchanges to reach 6-6.

Safarova broke at the start of the second set but the Spaniard, who won the biggest title of her career at the China Open earlier this month, broke back in the sixth game as she regained her rhythm. It was a short-lived lead.

On her 11th break point, Muguruza blasted a return off the baseline.

She raced through the first set, but looked to be in trouble in the second as fellow left-hander Kvitova was twice up a service break, but the Czech player failed to capitalise on the advantage and she served a total of seven double faults. She made 29 winners today! The six-foot Spaniard used the wide serve effectively for 5-3.

Eugenie Bouchard, Madison Keys and Belinda Bencic are among a promising batch of players blessed with the game that could take them to the top but Muguruza is emerging as the most likely prospect to taste grand slam success first after a stellar 2015. That pattern proved costly when Safarova stubbornly hit a series of crosscourt forehands only to be pushed back by the pace of Muguruza’s two-hander.

During the press conference, Muguruza also said she would continue working with French coach Sam Sumyk in the 2016 season, adding that everything is “perfect” at the moment.