Halep secures 6th title in Sofia

Simona Halep of Romania won the WTA Garanti Koza Tournament of Champions here on Sunday after beating Samantha Stosur of Australia 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. On the road to the glory since Tuesday, Halep beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-3, 6-3, Alize Cornet of France 6-4, 6-4, Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-1, 6-1 and former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Halep will finish the season as the world number 11.

Ivanovic beats Stosur, 2-0 in Sredets group

No. 2-seeded Ana Ivanovic beat Australian Samantha Stosur with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 scoreline to improve 2-0 in Group Sredet. Twice ToC champion who is bidding for her third title is now 8-0 in the tournament history.Ivanovic will take on Elena Vesnina to book a spot in the semi final and first place finish in their group. Vesnina and Stosur are tied at 1-1 in the group. Tsvetana Pironkova, seeded eighth, is 0-2 going into her final round-robin match against Stosur. Vesnina defeated Pironkova 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 on Thursday

Tournament of champions - Day 2 results

Samantha Stosur def. Elena Vesnina 6-3,6-3
Simona Halep def. Alize Cornet 6-4,6-4
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Elina Svitolina 6-2,6-4

Ivanovic storms past Pironkova, Kirilenko withdraws

Two-time champion Ana Ivanovic made a flying start to the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament of Champions, defeating Tsvetana Pironkova in straight sets 6-0,6-2 in her first round robin match. Ana has won the event twice and is unbeaten at the tournament of champions. She will face Elena Vesnina in her second round robin encounter. 3rd seed Maria Kirilenko was trailing 0-5 in the opening set against Alize Cornet and forced to retire due to a knee injury. Later Kirilenko withdrew from the tournament and Elina Svitolina has replaced the Russian. Tournament's top seed Simona Halep cruised to straight-set victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-3,6-3.

The No.3-seeded Kirilenko was trailing the No.7-seeded Cornet in the first set, 5-0, when she was forced to stop play due to a left knee injury - afterwards she announced she is out of the tournament. - See more at: http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3516064/title/cornet-advances-kirilenko-withdraws#sthash.cohSFV8N.dpuf

The No.3-seeded Kirilenko was trailing the No.7-seeded Cornet in the first set, 5-0, when she was forced to stop play due to a left knee injury - afterwards she announced she is out of the tournament. - See more at: http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3516064/title/cornet-advances-kirilenko-withdraws#sthash.cohSFV8N.dpuf

Tournament of Champions Sofia draw

Williams wins YEC final

Serena Williams ended the best season of her career beating Li Na 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 to win WTA season ending championship in Istanbul. Williams clinched second consecutive WTA Championship and fourth overall and finishes the season with 11 WTA titles to her name this year. Also Williams has won 78 of 82 matches this year and is set to finish the year as the top ranked player for the third time in her career after 2002 and 2009. Williams win brought her annual winnings to whopping $12.4 million, record breaking earning.

Serena wins, Jankovic beats Azarenka

World number one Serena Williams beat Agnieszka Radwanska for the eighth time in eight matches to move towards the semi-finals of the WTA Championships. In White Group Serbia's Jelena Jankovic beat second seed Victoria Azarenka 6-4 6-3 to collect the first win of the championship and first win at the championship since 2009. Meanwhile former French Open champion Li Na beat Sara Errani 6-3,7-6 in Li's first match of the tournament.

Serena starts title defense, Azarenka and Kvitova win

World number one and the defending champion Serena Williams of the USA beat Angelique Kerber 6-3,6-1 to collect the first win of 2013 year end championship in Istanbul. Williams hit staggering 31 winners en route to the win. Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded third, lost 6-4 6-4 to the Czech Republic's fifth seed Petra Kvitova. Kvitova, winner of 2011 championship, lost to Radwanska last year in the only match she played before pulling out. Runner up to Kvitova in 2011, Second seed, Victoria Azarenka was made to work hard for a 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 victory over Italian world number seven Sara Errani.

Istanbul draw

Red Group

Serena Williams
Agnieszka Radwanska
Petra Kvitova
Angelique Kerber

White Group

Victoria Azarenka
Li Na
Sara Errani
Jelena Jankovic

Ivanovic, Stosur reach final 8 in Moscow

Samantha Stosur of Australia advanced to the quarter finals of the Kremlin Cup by beating Alize Cornet of France 6-4,6-1. Stosur will face Ana Ivanovic of Serbia who knocked out Klara Zakopalova 6-3,6-1. Earlier Two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Sweden's Sofia Arvidson. 

New rankings - 14/10/13

Current WTA top 20:

1 Serena Williams (USA) 13,260pts
2 Victoria Azarenka (Blr) 8,206pts
3 Maria Sharapova (Rus) 6,941pts
4 Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) 6,195pts
5 Na Li (Chn) 5,365pts
6 Sara Errani (Ita) 4,435pts
7 Petra Kvitova (Cze) 4,315pts
8 Jelena Jankovic (Srb) 3,860pts
9 Caroline Wozniacki (Den) 3,845pts
10 Angelique Kerber (Ger) 3,805pts
11 Roberta Vinci (Ita) 3,195pts
12 Sloane Stephens (USA) 3,185pts
13 Marion Bartoli (Fra) 3,172pts
14 Ana Ivanovic (Srb) 2,845pts
15 Sabine Lisicki (Ger) 2,830pts
16 Maria Kirilenko (Rus) 2,755pts
17 Carla Suarez Navarro (Esp) 2,735pts
18 Simona Halep (Rou) 2,685pts
19 Samantha Stosur (Aus) 2,595pts
20 Kirsten Flipkens (Bel) 2,495pts

Kerber tops Ivanovic in Linz

Top-seeded Angelique Kerber won her first WTA title of the season and third overall by defeating two-time champion Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 7-6 (6) at the Generali Ladies on Sunday.

Ivanovic, runner up.

Stosur wins Japan Open

Former US Open champion Samantha Stosur fought back from a first set loss to claim victory Sunday against Canadian Eugenie Bouchard 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the Japan Women's Open final. Stosur won in her other WTA event final this year when she beat then world number three Victoria Azarenka in Carlsbad in early August.

Luxembourg draw

Moscow draw

Finalists set in Linz and Osaka

Two-time former champion Ana Ivanovic defeated Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4 Saturday to set up a final against top-seeded Angelique Kerber at the Generali Ladies in Linz. Kerber outclassed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2,6-0 in her semi final match. By reaching the semifinals, Kerber secured the eighth and final spot in the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul. Both Ivanovic and Kerber eye for the first title of the year.

Meanwhile in Osaka, WTA Japan Open, 19-year-old Eugenie Bouchard of Canada beat Japan’s Kurumi Nara 6-2, 6-2 to reach her first career WTA tour final. She will face Samantha Stosur of Australia, who swept past American teenager Madison Keys 6-1, 6-2 in her semi final match.

Ivanovic enters Linz semis, Stephens out

Ana Ivanovic beat Dominica Cibulkova 6-2,6-4 to reach semi finals of Generali Ladies Linz. Two-time former champion Ana Ivanovic will take on Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland in the semifinals. The 58th-ranked Voegele advanced after upsetting second-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-5.

Kerber qualifies for Istanbul

Germany's Angelique Kerber claimed the eighth and final place for the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul by reaching the Linz semi-finals on Saturday. Kerber, the world number 10, made sure of her place in the October 22-27 event by beating Austria's Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, 6-3, 6-1.

Stephens beats Petkovic, Kerber one win away

Angelique Kerber and Sloane Stephens reached the quarter-finals of the Linz Open beating Romania's Alexandra Cadantu and Andrea Petkovic respectively. Kerber prevailed in 50 minutes to place in the last eight stage and now she is one win away from qualifying for WTA year end championship in Istanbul. Stephens eliminated Petkovic 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-3 in two hours and 31 minutes.

Stosur marches through in Osaka

Samantha Stosur of Australia has made her second semi-final of the year, overcoming Japanese Misaki Doi 6-1,3-6,6-3 in the quarter finals of Japan open in Osaka. Stosur is joined by Canada's Eugenie Bouchard, Madison Keys of the USA and local favourite Kurumi Nara.

Kerber survives in opening round

Top seed Angelique Kerber came back from a whitewash set down to beat Romanian Monica Niculescu 0-6,6-1,6-2 to reach the second round of Genarali Ladies Linz. Kerber won just 10 points in losing the first set. In other first-round matches Wednesday saw Karin Knapp defeat eighth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) and Alexandra Cadantu get by Melanie Klaffner 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

Ivanovic tops Schiavone in Linz

Two time champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia defeated Italian Francesca Schiavone in a second round battle between two former French Open champions in WTA Genarali Ladies Linz. 2008 French Open champion, Ivanovic, came over 2010 champion Schiavone in straight sets 6-3,7-5. Serb also cracked her 35th win in this season. Ivanovic will face either Dominika Cibulkova or Katarzyna Piter in quarter finals. Fourth seed Carla Suarez Navarro and fifth seed Kirsten Flipkens also won in straight sets in their second round matches to set up a clash against each other in the last eight stage.

Stosur reaches Osaka quarters

Third-seeded Samantha Stosur beat Swiss qualifier Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-4, 6-2 at the Japan Open on Wednesday to reach her first quarter-final since her title run in Carlsbad in August. She will next face either Kimiko Date-Krumm or Misaki Doi.

Ivanovic wins champions clash

Ana Ivanovic, 3rd seed, beat Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium to reach second round of WTA Generali Ladies Linz. Ivanovic, champion in 2008 and 2010, had to overcome a 1-3 deficit in the second set against former top 20 opponent Wickmayer , champion in 2009. Final score was 6-2,6-4 in Serbian's favor. In other first round matches Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium overcame Donna Vekic of Croatia 2-6,6-2,6-2 meanwhile 4th seed Carla Suarez Navarro outclassed Kristyna Pliskova 6-2,6-3. Last year's finalist Julia Goerges of Germany was eliminated in the opening round by Italian Camila Giorgi.

2014 Hopman Cup field announced

Australia - Samantha Stosur and Bernard Tomic
USA - Sloane Stephens and John Isner
Poland - Agnieszka Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz
Czech Republic - Petra Kvitova and Radek Stepanek
France - Alize Cornet and Jo-Wilfred Tsonga
Canada - Eugenie Bouchard and Milos Raonic
Italy - Flavia Pennetta and Andreas Seppi
Spain - Anabel Medina Garrigues and Tommy Robredo

Ivanovic, Djokovic to miss Hopman Cup 2014

Serbian duo Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic will miss 2014 Hopman Cup, season beginning mixed teams tournament in Perth. Djokovic's absence has been explained by his participation in the Davis Cup final in November while Ivanovic will compete in Auckland, ASB Classic. Ivanovic and Djokovic are the runners up in 2013  to Spain, Anabel Medina Garriguess and Fernando Verdasco.

Puig upsets defending champion Watson in Osaka

Heather Watson's defence of her Japan Open title ended with a first-round defeat by Puerto Rica's Monica Puig 6-4,6-4. The victory for Watson at the Japan Open last year was her maiden title win and she moved up to number 39 in the rankings early in 2013. She is currently ranked 92 in the world.

Sharapova pulls out of WTA Championships

Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the season-ending WTA Championships with a shoulder injury.
Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, Sara Errani of Italy and Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic have also qualified for the championships. They join a field that already includes Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska and Li Na.

Linz Draw - Updated

Angelique Kerber received entry as a wildcard and the top seed after the original draw was made. The wildcard had originally been given to Lisa-Maria Moser.
Kerber was placed in the bottom half of the draw, and several seeds were moved around in the draw to accommodate Kerber's late entry.

Williams wins China Open

Serena Williams beat Jelena Jankovic 6-2,6-2 to win her 10th WTA title of the year - and 56th of her career - at the China Open. Williams now has 10 WTA titles this year to her name.

Williams to play Jankovic in China Open final

Serena Williams of the USA reached her 12th final of the year with a straight-forward victory against Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-2 6-2.Williams will face eighth-seeded Jelena Jankovic from Serbia, who rallied from a set down to overcome Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova 6-7 (9) 6-1 6-1.

Linz Draw

* Note - Angelique Kerber received entry as a wildcard and the top seed after the original draw was made. The wildcard had originally been given to Lisa-Maria Moser.
Kerber was placed in the bottom half of the draw, and several seeds were moved around in the draw to accommodate Kerber's late entry.

Semi finalists set in Beijing

Top-ranked Serena Williams beat former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-1, 6-4 to raise her career record to 6-1 against the Dane in the quarter finals of China Open. Williams will face Agnieszka Radwanska, 2011 champion, in the semi finals. Radwanska came through after beating Angelique Kerber of Germany. In the women's draw, former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat local favorite Li Na 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to set up a semifinal with Jelena Jankovic, who also came from a set down to beat Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4.

Radwanska, Jankovic ease through

Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska powered past Polona Hercog of Slovania 6-0,6-2 to reach the last eight stage of China open. Radwanska, 2011 champion, will face Angelique Kerber who beat her in quarterfinals of Tokyo last week. Meanwhile Serbian former world number one Jelena Jankovic double bageled Carla Suarez Navarro in her third round match to clash Lucie Safarova. Safarova knocked out Andrea Petkovic in a three set marathon 6-4,6-7,7-6.

New milestone for Williams

World number one Serena Williams saved three set points on her way to edging Russian Maria Kirilenko 7-5 7-5 on Thursday to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open with her 70th win of the season. Williams became the first woman since Justine Henin (2007) to pass 70 wins in a year.

Kvitova sets Li clash

Li Na kept alive local hopes of a first homegrown champion in the China Open when she reached the quarter-finals with a tough 7-5, 6-4 win over Sabine Lisicki of Germany on Wednesday. Li will face recent Tokyo champion Petra Kvitova, who beat Sara Errani in three sets 6-4,6-7,6-3.

2013 China Open First Round Results

                                                    

Serena Williams def. Elena Vesnina 6-4,6-2
Agnieskza Radwanksa def. Stefanie Vogele 4-6,6-4,6-4
Urzula Radwanska def. Simona Halep 7-6,7-6
Li Na def. Daniela Hantuchova 6-0,6-4
Lucie Safarova def. Samantha Stosur 7-6,6-3
Francesca Schiavone def. Alize Cornet 3-2 ret.
Sloane Stephens def. Alexandra Wozniacki 6-4,6-4
Monica Niculescu def. Annika Beck 7-6,6-4
Medison Keys def. Domanika Cibulkova 6-4,6-3
Robreta Vinci def. Elena Svitoliva 6-2,6-2
Luara Robson def. Klara Zakopalova 7-6,4-6,6-1
Sara Errani def. Kirsten Flipkens 7-6,6-1
Varvara Lepchenko def. Heather Watson 1-6,6-3,6-
Carla Suarez Navarro def. Kristina Mladenovic 6-2,3-6,7-5
Kaia Kanepi def. Julia Goerges 7-5,6-4






Lauren Davis def. Mona Barthel 6-0,5-7,6-4
Maria Kirilenko def. Zheng Jie 7-5,6-2
Misaki Doi def. Silvia Soler Espinosa 6-1,6-1
Sabine Lisicki def. Chanelle Scheepers 6-3,6-2
Ana Ivanovic def. Flavia Pennetta 7-6,6-1
Bojana Jovanovski def. Sorana Cirstea 6-3,6-2
Eugenie Bouchard def. Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4,6-1
Jelena Jankovic def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 1-6,6-4,6-0
Galina Voskoboeva def. Sharon Fichman 6-4,6-3
Shuai Zhang def. Peng Shuai 6-3,6-3
Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Su-wei Hsieh 6-1,6-1
Polona Hercog def Monica Piug 6-1,6-4
Andrea Petkovic def. Victoria Azarenka 6-4,2-6,6-4




* Tokyo semi finalists who received first round byes in Beijing are Petra Kvitova, Angelique Kerber,
Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams.

Kvitova takes Tokyo title

Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic beat Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 in the Pan Pacific Open final Saturday for her second title of the year. Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, will move up to No. 7 in the world rankings from her current spot of 11th.

Beijing draw

2013 China Open women's singles draw.

Serena Williams year end number one

Serena Williams will end the year as the number one female player in the world after a phenomenal campaign which saw the American win two Grand Slams. Williams became the oldest player to hold the number one position when, aged 31, the 17-time Grand Slam winner replaced Victoria Azarenka in February. It is the third time she has topped the rankings at the end of a calendar year.

Kvitova, Kerber advance to Tokyo final

Petra Kvitova rallied to defeat Venus Williams 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) and advance to the Pan Pacific Open final. She will meet Fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany who beat fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 7-6(5) in the other semifinal.

Kvitova beats Kuznetsova, Radwanska loses

Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova defeated two time grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova to set up a blockbuster semifinal clash against Venus Williams. The Czech outclassed the Russian in straight sets 6-4,6-1. Meanwhile number 2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska lost to Germany's Angelique Kerber in straight sets 6-4,6-4. Former world number one Dane Caroline Wozniacki battled past compatriot Lucie Safarova 2-6,6-3,6-2 in another quarterfinal encounter.

Venus first into semis

Venus Williams has been enjoying her best tournament of this year as she reaches the first semi final of the season after beating Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in the last eight stage of Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Williams, who beat world number two Victoria Azarenka in round 2, needed three sets 6-3,6-7,6-3 to overcome the Canadian teenager to gain a semi final spot for the first time in Tokyo. Williams will play either Svetlana Kuznetsova or Petra Kvitova in semis.

WTA Tokyo - 3rd round results

Angelique Kerber def. Ana Ivanovic 6-4,6-2
Agnieszka Radwanska def. Dominika Cibulkova 6-3,6-4
Petra Kvitova def. Medison Keys 6-2,6-2
Eugenie Bouchard def. Jelena Jankovic 7-5,6-2
Caroline Wozniacki def, Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1,6-1
Lucie Safarova def. Samantha Stosur 6-4,6-4
Venus Williams def. Simona Halep 4-6,7-5,6-3
Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Sorana Cirstea 7-6,6-1

Serena Williams withdraws from Tokyo

World number one Serena Williams of the USA has pulled out of the Pan Pacific Open to recover from a busy summer playing schedule.The top-ranked Williams, who won her 17th Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, said Thursday in a press release, “unfortunately with the number of matches I have played throughout the summer, I need more time to properly recover.” Williams said she expects to play in the September 28-October 6 China Open in Beijing.Williams withdrawal means Victoria Azarenka will be relegated the number one seed for years final premier 5 event.