WTA Finals: Simona Halep beats Bianca Andreescu as defending champion Elina Svitolina makes winning start

Simona Halep came from a match point down to defeat Bianca Andreescu and get off to a winning start at the season-ending WTA Finals in Shenzhen.

The Wimbledon champion prevailed 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 in a first career meeting between the pair with 19-year-old Andreescu missing the chance to seal the match in the second set before losing the tiebrak.

Halep was on the back-foot for much of the match against the surprise US Open winner, losing four straight games in the opening set and twice surrendering a break in the second.

Andreescu held match point on Halep's serve in the 12th game of the set but the Romanian battled back to force and win a tight tie-break, then had to come from behind again after falling a break down early in the third.

"I'm really proud actually that I could fight in this way because I have a month that I didn't really practice with my back, with the injury, but it looks like I'm still there," Halep said.

"Today, it was a challenge because she's 10 years younger than me. It was a good fight. I'm happy about my victory."

Andreescu is aiming to cap a magnificent season with victory in Shenzhen and admitted she would learn much from the experience of pushing Halep so close.

The Canadian said: "I think I was executing the right tactics and I didn't feel intimidated at all stepping onto the court.

"It was a good match. She fought really hard. I didn't take my chances in the second set and I am really disappointed about that."

Meanwhile, in another Purple Group match, defending champion Elina Svitolina saw off Karolina Pliskova 7-6, 6-4.

The Ukrainian came from a break down in the opening set and saved a set point in a marathon tie-break, in which she finally took advantage of a seventh set point of her own.

"You tell yourself to stay in the moment and you just try to play one rally at a time and not rush," she said after the match.

"I had to be really mentally tough and try to not think so much because obviously she's a great player. I had to expect that she would step up her game."

Additional reporting from the Press Association.