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 As well as Halep played in moving her opponent back and around
Singapore's purple Indoor hardcourt, the 33-year-old American only
had herself to blame for the defeat after her serve fell apart and
the errors flowed.
The loss halted the double defending champion's winning streak at
the season-ending event at 16 matches and leaves her needing to beat
Eugenie Bouchard, who plays Ana Ivanovic later on Wednesday, to make
it through to the last four from the Red Group.
"It was actually embarrassing I think describes the way I played.
Yeah, very embarrassing," Williams told reporters, before heaping
praise on Halep.
"I've seen her play a lot. Like I said, she's never played like this
before."
Williams gave no indication of the struggles that awaited her as she
boomed down an ace to start the match between the two players who
were impressive in claiming straight set victories in their opening
Red Group matches.
That ace would be one of only nine points the 18-times grand slam
champion would win in the opening set as her game fell apart to give
Maria Sharapova hope of overhauling her to finish the season as
world number one.
Halep, serving supremely, needed only 12 minutes to race 4-0 ahead
with Williams looking almost in shock and her routine failure to
send simple groundstrokes over the net.
The American, looking for a fifth WTA Finals title, also tossed in
six double faults with the few second serves that did make it over
getting rough treatment from Halep.
The Romanian, runner-up at the French Open earlier this year, grew
in confidence as Williams offered little hope of a recovery. Halep,
who beat Bouchard in her opener on Monday, smashing an ace to take
the set 6-0 at the third opportunity.
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The last time Williams lost a set 6-0 was in Madrid last year at the
hands of Anabel Medina Garrigues, but she bounced back to win the
match and the tournament. That scenario never looked like repeating
itself on Wednesday.
Jumping around in between points and screaming at herself in an
attempt to snap out of the hole, she finally got herself on the
board in the ninth game as she held serve to make it 2-1.
She then rallied on the impressive Halep serve to force a break
point but the 23-year-old Romanian snuffed it out with another ace
and went on to make the key hold for 3-1.
Rather than feel the heat as the victory line approached, Halep
reveled.
She stepped away from her traditional counter-punch game and went on
the front foot, landing attacking ground strokes to move Williams
around the court as she moved 5-2 ahead with the American
despondent.
She claimed the famous win on her first match point, when Williams
dumped another forehand into the net as she matched her career worst
two game total from a 1998 defeat by Joannette Kruger in Oklahoma
City.
"The biggest match of my life. I'm really happy," Halep said after
becoming only the second woman to beat Williams in straight sets in
a WTA Finals match after Kim Clijsters in 2002.
(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
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