WTA Finals Day 1 – Shenzhen era begins; Osaka and Barty win; Andrew Bettles Interview

David Law and Matt Roberts recap the opening day of the WTA Finals as Naomi Osaka beat Petra Kvitova and Ash Barty defeated Belinda Bencic, both in three sets.

How was the staging and crowd support in Shenzhen? In what way was Naomi Osaka’s honest and open coaching timeout with her father a demonstration of her mental strength rather than a sign of any weakness? And how did Ash Barty pick her game up so dramatically after a slow start?

Looking ahead to Day 2, David speaks to Andrew Bettles, coach of defending champion Elina Svitolina. He talks about how Svitolina played ‘freely’ to win the title last year, analyses how she’s improved her game against powerful players, and discusses his own journey in coaching.

Elsewhere, there’s chat about the fervent home support Dominic Thiem receives in Vienna, Roger Federer’s sparkling form in Basel, and another title in China for Aryna Sabalenka.

We are produced in association with Telegraph Sport.

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