Late entry Kiki Bertens on Tuesday stunned world number one Ashleigh Barty with a comeback three-set victory to shake-up the season-ending WTA Finals in Shenzhen.
All four players in the Red Group can still qualify for the semi-finals, after Belinda Bencic’s three-set victory over Petra Kvitova in the later match.
Bertens looked in deep trouble at a set and a break down, but turned the tide with ruthless returning and aggressive play at the net to overwhelm a deflated Barty, who could have sealed a spot in the semis with a win.
Bertens — the world No.10 who was a late replacement for an injured Naomi Osaka — won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and nine minutes in a see-saw match featuring 12 breaks of serve.
Osaka, the world number three, withdrew from the round-robin tournament earlier in the day due to a shoulder injury.
“Of course you’re always ready to play, but I did not see it coming today,” Bertens said of her late call-up.
“In the beginning, I was struggling. As the match continued, I felt better and better.”
Bertens appeared nervous under the bright lights dropping her first three service games and Barty, who has locked up the year-end No.1 ranking, pounced to run away with the first set.
Barty then endured her own service woes against an increasingly aggressive Bertens, who showcased a soft touch at the net.
A slumping Barty had her serve broken five times through the second and third sets as Bertens stormed to her first victory over the Australian.
Barty lamented letting her early lead slip away.
“I wasn’t able to execute as cleanly when I was up in the score line,” she said.
Bertens, who made the semi-finals of last year’s WTA Finals, continued her strong form after making the finals in Zhuhai last week and the semi-finals of the China Open earlier in the month, when she lost a three-set thriller to Barty.
In the later match, Bencic fought back from a second set spiral to beat Kvitova 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in one hour and 47 minutes.
It kept her tournament hopes alive after she had lost her opening match to Barty.
