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The World No.12 knew she had to win the tournament, which is also being contested by Singapore rival Svetlana Kuznetsova, to reach the finals, but was trailing the Australian, 6-3, 3-0, when she pulled out.  

It was Suárez Navarro who made the brighter start, finding her range in rallies from the off and breaking after Gavrilova sent a forehand long. The Australian had a chance to get back on terms immediately but squandered three break points and the Spaniard recovered to hold.

The No.3 seed missed an opportunity to extend her lead in the third game of the match but both players settled after the frantic opening and became more comfortable on serve.

With Suárez Navarro serving at 4-3, Gavrilova rallied, producing some stunning winners to finally draw level after a marathon game. The World No.37 ground out a hold and soon found herself with two set points on the Suárez Navarro serve; she took the second thanks a forehand into the tramlines.

Suárez Navarro, who had to undergo treatment between sets, had the chance to get on the front foot at the start of the second but sent a routine backhand wide on break point. A string of unforced errors then handed Gavrilova a break to love and the Australian soon had a clear lead.

After Suárez Navarro missed a further chance to break the Gavrilova serve and slumped to a 3-0 deficit in the second set, she announced to the umpires that she was retiring, ending her chances of reaching Singapore.

The last @WTAFinalsSG spot is down to Jo Konta or Svetlana Kuznetsova. Scenario is simple: If Sveta wins Moscow, she's in. If not, Jo is in.

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 19, 2016

“I thought I played pretty well, it was a tough battle, I’ve practised with her a lot of times,” Gavrilova said after the match.

“[There were] a few pretty tough games, I think we played the first four games for like 40 minutes, and then I found momentum.

“I lost my serve at the very beginning, but I felt like I was still in it and I had a lot of chances and then finally it all worked out.

“I feel very different to how I felt last year; I was really tired last year. This year, I had a few days off after the US Open and regrouped and had my training in Melbourne and now I’m just enjoying the last few tournaments.”

Suárez Navarro’s withdrawal means that only Kuznetsova can prevent Johanna Konta from filling the final spot in Singapore.