Elina Svitolina has climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 14 after
capturing her fourth career title at the BMW Malaysian Open in Kuala
Lumpur on Sunday.Svitolina - the second youngest player in the top 20 - improved to a perfect 4-0 record in WTA finals, defeating the resurgent Eugenie Bouchard 6-7(5) 6-4 7-5 in a rain-delayed three-hour long battle. It’s the 21-year-old’s fourth title over the last four years and her first since hiring former World No.1 Justine Henin as a consultant last month. Seeded No. 2, the highest-ranked player Svitolina played on her route to the final was No. 133 Risa Ozaki, however the Ukrainian lifted her game when it mattered most, coming back from the disappointment of losing the first set to win in three.
It was another successful week for Bouchard, despite the
disappointment of falling at the final hurdle for the second time
already in 2016. The Canadian moved up 10 spots to No. 42 on the back of
her run to the final, while Bouchard has also now won more matches in
two months and seven days than she did during a 12-month span throughout
2015.
Meanwhile over in Monterrey, Heather
Watson also improved to a perfect 3-0 record in WTA finals after
defeating Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens 3-6 6-2 6-3 at the Abierto
Monterrey Afirme. After failing to defend her title in Hobart in January
to start the season, Watson dropped to as low as No. 84 in the world.
However her win in Monterry has propelled her 31 spots to be on the cusp
of the top 50 again at No. 53. Watson dedicated the win to her mother,
who was in attendance on what was Mother’s Day back in Great Britain.
Veteran Flipkens - who has been as high as World No. 13 and a
former Wimbledon semi-finalist - climbed 14 spots to No. 59 on the back
of her final efforts. Caroline Wozniacki - who was the second seed in
Monterrey - slipped further down the ranks to No. 25 after losing to
Watson in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, in a
notable rankings movement near the top of the rankings, Timea Bacsinszky
has dropped seven places to outside the top 20 at No. 21 after failing
to defend her titles from 2015 over the mini-Mexican swing in Acapulco
and Monterrey. Backsinszky had failed to win back-to-back matches this
year until a fortnight ago in Doha, where she reached the Round of 16.
There
were no rankings changes inside the top 10 as the WTA Tour moves on to
Indian Wells this week, where Simona Halep - who has already dropped
three spots in 2016 to No. 5 - is the defending champion.
Latest WTA rankings ahead of Indian Wells this week:
1. Serena Williams
2. Angelique Kerber
3. Agnieszka Radwanska
4. Garbine Muguruza
5. Simona Halep
6. Carla Suarez Navarro
7. Maria Sharapova
8. Belinda Bencic
9. Petra Kvitova
10. Roberta Vinci
11. Flavia Pennetta
12. Venus Williams
13. Lucie Safarova
14. Elina Svitolina (+5) CH
15. Victoria Azarenka
16. Sara Errani (+1)
17. Svetlana Kuznetsova (+1)
18. Ana Ivanovic (-2)
19. Karolina Pliskova (+1)
20. Jelena Jankovic (+1)
