PREVIEW
When did the WTA Finals start, who has won it the most, and who is the reigning champion?
Your guide to the end-of-season tournament last year saw Caroline Wozniacki triumph over Venus Williams
The WTA Finals is a women's tennis tournament held this year in Kallang, Singapore.
The tournament is contested by eight singles players and eight doubles teams.
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It is the 48th edition of the singles event and the 43rd edition of the doubles competition.
When did the WTA Finals start?
It all began in 1972 as an annual end-of-season tournament for the top ranked players on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour.
US favourite Chris Evert beat Martina Navratilova in the singles final, and Rosemary Casals and Margaret Court overcame Francoise Durr and Betty Stove in the doubles final.
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Who has won the tournament the most?
The most successful finals player is Navratilova, who has won eight singles titles and 13 doubles titles.
Since 2014 the winner of the tournament has received the Billie Jean King Trophy.
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Who is the reigning champion?
Caroline Wozniacki beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 last year.
The doubles title went to Timea Babos and Andrea Hlavackova after their triumph over Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson.
When are the 2018 WTA Finals?
The action gets underway on Sunday, October 21 and finishes eight days later with the singles and doubles finals.
The tournament will feature 15 singles matches and seven doubles, so 22 in all.
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What is the tournament format?
The singles event features eight players in a round robin split into two groups of four. Over the first four days each player meets the other three players in her group, with the top two in each group advancing to the semi-finals.
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The first-placed player in one group meets the second-placed player in the other group, and vice-versa. Semi-final winners meet in the championship match.
The doubles event returns to a single elimination event. The winners of each quarter-final match will advance to the last four and the winners of each semi-final will make the final.
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