Sharapova and Williams set up final showdown in Istanbul

Serena Williams of the USA demolished Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2,6-1 to reach the final against Maria Sharapova at WTA Year End Championship in Istanbul. Sharapova beat Victoria Azarenka, who will finish the year as No.1 in the rankings, 6-4,6-2.Sharapova won her only title at the event in 2004 when she beat Williams, which is the last time the Russian beat the American.

Azarenka seals the year end number 1 ranking

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus wrapped up the season ending Number 1 position in the world by beating Li Na 7-6,6-3 on Friday in the WTA Championships. Azarenka also secured a spot in the semifinals and will next play Maria Sharapova of Russia.

                             

 

"It's kind of difficult to believe that a little girl from Belarus is on that list. It's really incredible achievement. When I started to play tennis I had this big picture in my head that I want to be there. Back then it's so far away. It's like pretty much touching the sky.
I'm here sitting kind of in the sky, so it's really incredible feeling."

 

Azarenka saves match points, Sharapova through to semis

Serena Williams beat 2011 French Open champion Li Na of China 7-6,6-3 for her second win in round-robin matches to close in on the semifinals at the tournament for the top eight players in the world. top-ranked Victoria Azarenka saved two match points before rallying past Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-7 (11), 7-6 (2), 6-4 in her first match at the event. Maria Sharapova also made into the semi finals with a tough three sets victory over Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 5-7,7-5,7-5.

Kvitova pulls out of WTA championship

Defending champion Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the WTA Championships due to a viral illness and will be replaced by Samantha Stosur. The world number six was able to play her first match in the White group on Tuesday but was toppled 6-3 6-2 by Agnieszka Radwanska. Kvitova is scheduled to represent her country in the Fed Cup final against Serbia in Prague next week. 

Williams, Radwanska and Sharapova win

In her first match since winning the US Open in September, Williams defeated Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-1 to start season ending event featuring the top eight players in the world. In White Group matches, Agnieszka Radwanska defeated titleholder Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-2, and Maria Sharapova defeated Sara Errani 6-3, 6-2 in a repeat of the French Open final

WTA Championships draw

The singles event features eight players and begins as a round robin event, split into two groups of four.

Red Group

(1) Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
(3) Serena Williams (USA)
(5) Angelique Kerber (GER)
(8) Li Na (CHN)

Three grand slam champions are in red group this year. World number one Victoria Azarenka, who won 6 titles including her maiden grand slam title early this year in Melbourne will look forward to clinch her very first YEC title after losing her first final last year to Petra Kvitova. Since losing the US open final to Serena Williams, Azarenka hasn't lost a single match or set in her last three tournaments and is in a 13 match win streak. Serena Williams, the second highest ranked player in red group, has also won 6 titles this year including two grand slams and the Olympics gold medal. (Charleston, Madrid, Wimbledon, Stanford, Olympics, US Open). Williams is 2/2 in YEC finals triumphing in 2001 and 2009. Angelique Kerber is the only player in the group without a grand slam but the German is having a fantastic season with reaching the semi finals of Wimbledon and winning two indoors titles earlier this year (Paris, Copenhagen). Kerber is competing for the first time in YEC. Li Na, former French Open champion, hasn't reached a quarter final stage of any of grand slams this year though she made the cut. Chinese won Cincinnati and is competing for the second time after competing last year.



White Group

(2) Maria Sharapova (RUS)
(4) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
(6) Petra Kvitova (CZE)
(7) Sara Errani (ITA)

Maria Sharapova won three titles this year, all of them on clay, including French Open. Sharapova completed the career grand slam by winning the French Open but narrowly missed the chance to complete the career golden slam as she lost in the Olympic final to Serena Williams. Sharapova's last two defeats come from Azarenka's racket (US Open and Beijing). Agnieszka Radwanska is also having the best year of her career achieving the highest rank and reaching the first ever grand slam final at All England Club. More over she won Dubai, Miami and Brussels coming into her 4th YEC as the 4th seed this year. The defending champion Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic will start her title defense in white group as the 6th seed this year. Kvitova won last year's title without losing a match. Former Wimbledon champion couldn't get her self into grand slam winning circle this year although she won Montreal and New Haven to clinch the US Open series.Kvitova passed the fourth round stage of first three grand slams of this season. Sara Errani of Italy is the surprise package of  among the field as the Italian  is having a breakthrough season. Errani won four international clay titles (Acapulco, Barcelona, Budapest, Palermo) and reached the final of French Open. Also She reached the quarter finals of Australian Open and the Semi finals of US Open. Errani also competes in the doubles event along with Robreta Vinci.

Samantha Stosur of Australia and Marion Bartoli of France are the two alternates.

Wozniacki clinches Moscow, wins 20th title

Caroline Wozniacki claimed her 20th career title by beating top seed Samantha Stosur 6-2 4-6 7-5 in a thrilling Kremlin Cup tennis final on Sunday. Dane trailed Stosur 1-3 in the third set but rec

overed from the deficit, then broke the Australian in the 12th game to clinch her second title of the season after winning the Korea Open few weeks ago. Russian duo Eketerina Makarova and Elena Vesnina won the women's doubles event.

Venus ends title drought, wins Luxumbourg

Venus Williams is delighted to get back into the winner's circle after a two-year battle with injuries and illness as she downed Romania's Monica Niculescu 6-2 6-3 to win the Luxembourg Open title on Sunday.

Ivanovic, Stosur and Wozniacki reach Moscow semis

Ana Ivanovic and Samantha Stosur won in straight sets Friday, to set up a semifinal showdown at the Kremlin Cup. Ivanovic beat Vesna Dolonc 6-4,6-1 of Serbia and Stosur defeated Klara Zakop

alova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-3. Caroline Wozniacki knocked out the defending champion Dominika Cibulkova 6-2,6-7, 6-1 meanwhile Sofia Arvidsson backed up her victory over Marion Bartoli in the second round by beating Maria Kirilenko, the only Russian left in the women's draw, in straight sets 6-3,6-3 to reach the semi finals.

Venus, Petkovic into Luxumbourg semis

Venus Williams beat top seed Roberta Vinci of Italy 7-6,6-4 on Friday to reach the semifinals of the Luxembourg Open. Williams will face Andrea Petkovic of Germany, who defeated Ksenia Pervak of Kazak

hstan 6-3,6-2. Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain 7-5,6-0 to set up the other semifinal against Monica Niculescu of Romania, who defeated Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-0,6-4.

Azarenka captures Linz

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka won her sixth WTA title of the season Sunday by beating Julia Goerges 6-3, 6-4 at the Generali Ladies. Goerges, who has two career titles, is 0-2 in WTA finals this season after also losing in Dubai in February. Azarenka has won 13 straight matches without dropping a set since losing the U.S. Open final last month. She pulled out before her quarterfinal at Tokyo two weeks ago due to dizziness, then won in Beijing last week to begin her streak. Azarenka's next tournament is the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul.

Watson wins Japan Open

Heather Watson won the Japan Open title after a marathon 3 hour 12 minute battle with Chang Kai-chen. The match saw Watson hold match points before Chang came back and won the second. Chang went up a break and had multiple match points at 5-4 before Watson broke and won a final-set tiebreak. Watson won by a score of 7-5, 5-7, 7-6. With this win, Watson attained a top fifty ranking for the first time in her career, at the same time overtaking compatriot Laura Robson as the British number one. Heather also became the first Brit to win a WTA Singles Title in 24 years.

Azarenka vs Sharapova 2012 Beijing Highlights

Azarenka conquers Beijing

Victoria Azarenka won her fifth title of the year by dominating Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-1. It was the third time this year Azarenka beat Sharapova in a final after victories at the Australian Open and Indian Wells.

Azarenka, Sharapova into Beijing final

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka beat ninth-seeded Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-2 Saturday at the China Open to set up a final against Maria Sharapova. Sharapova cruised to a 6-4, 6-0 semifinal victory over seventh-seeded Li Na of China.

Quarter finalists set in Beijing

Quarter finalists for China Open, last premier mandatory event of the year, are set. Top two seeds Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova comfortably reached the last eight stage thanks to straight sets vic

tories over Elena Vesnina and Polona Hercog. The defending champion and the third seed Agnieskzka Radwanska of Poland struggled little a bit in her third round encounter against Lourdes Dominguez-Lino of Spain but came through in three sets 2-6,6-1,6-4. Angelique Kerber outlasted two year's ago champion Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-1,2-6,6-4 meanwhile Li Na beat Peng Shuai in three sets to reach the quarter finals after the all Chinese third round clash. Carla Suarez Navarro and Romina Oprandi are the surprise quarter finalists in the draw and Oprandi made into the last eight after beating the former world number one Ana Ivanovic of Serbia and Suarez Navarro upset 4th seed Petra Kvitova and former world number one Jelena Jankovic of Serbia on the way to the last eight.

Ivanovic saves match points and reach round 3

Ana reached the third round of the China Open in Beijing with a thrilling  victory over world No.20 Varvara Lepchenko. The 11th seed faced two match points and a 6-4, 5-3 deficit but found her form just in time to triumph in three sets 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.