Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, currently number 4 in the WTA ranking of the best tennis players in the world, won her first match in the WTA Finals in Sinapore. She beat Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in two sets 6-2, 6-3, according to WTA.

Halep and Bouchard were the fastest rising stars in this year’s WTA ranking. “Their meteoric rises up the tennis ladder have been characterized by a combination of unwavering self-belief and a cast-iron will to win usually reserved for the most seasoned of champions,” according to an article posted on the tournament’s site which prefaced the match between the two.

Everyone was expecting a balanced game as both Halep and Bouchard had a victory against the other this season. They both played grand slam finals, Halep in Roland Garros and Bouchard in Wimbledon.

In the end, it was Halep who had the edge. She played her usual aggressive tennis and showed that she recovered after the injury which got her out of the China Open earlier this month. “I found my game,” Halep said after the game.

Her biggest challenge is yet to come. On Wednesday she will play against the best player in the world, Serena Williams, in her second match in the Red Group of the tournament. Williams also beat Ana Ivanovici, number 7 WTA, after two sets ended 6-4, 6-4.

The WTA Finals in Singapore brings together the eight best players in the world this season and the best eight doubles pairs. In the singles competition, the eight finalists were seeded in two groups where each will play against the others. The first two players in each group will advance to the semifinals of the competition and the winners in the semifinals will play in the final.

editor@romania-insider.com