Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep won the opening Red Group matches as the WTA Finals got going in Singapore.
Halep, the top seed and world number two, whipped US Open champion Flavia Pennetta 6-0 6-3, preceding Sharapova saw off Agnieszka Radwanska 4 6-3 6-4.
The eight-player season finale starts with two round-robin aggregates, the main two from every meeting all requirements for the semis.
World number one Serena Williams is missing as she recuperates from damage.
The White Group comprises of Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, and Germany’s Angelique Kerber.
Romania’s Halep reeled off the initial seven diversions on her approach to beating Pennetta in only 72 minutes and taking control of the Red Group.
Halep, a year ago’s runner-up, hinted at no the lower leg harm that hampered her not long ago.
“I didn’t play the right game against her at the US Open,” she said. “Here I was well prepared and I knew how to play against her.”
Pennetta, who is playing her final tournament before retiring said: “She was playing really well today. Maybe I had not too much energy. I didn’t push a lot like I always do.”
The Russian last finished a match at Wimbledon in July, since when she has battled with leg and lower arm wounds, so it was nothing unexpected that her diversion was a long way from at its most honed.
Sharapova demonstrated that her engaging qualities stay in place, in any case, as she hit again from a set down to win in barely shy of three hours, subsequent to recouping from 15-40 when serving for the match.
“One match down,” said an emotional Sharapova afterwards. “I still have a few to go but it’s great to get a win against such a tough competitor as Radwanska, we always have such difficult matches.
“To be able to come out here, fight until the end and win it means a lot to me.”
