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Post by Admin on Oct 23, 2014 20:55:23 GMT
 Serena Williams rebounded from her worst loss in 16 years by crushing Canada's Eugenie Bouchard 6-1 6-1 at the WTA Finals. The win keeps alive Williams's hopes of reaching the semi-finals and ends Bouchard's campaign in Singapore. However, the American will be eliminated if Ana Ivanovic beats Simona Halep in straight sets on Friday. Halep beat Williams 6-0 6-2 on Tuesday and becomes the first player to qualify for the semi-finals. Bouchard, who had lost her first two matches in the Red Group, recovered from 0-40 down in the opening game of the match to hold serve. But it proved to be a false dawn for the world number five as a dominant Williams reeled off six straight games to take the first set. Williams continued to overpower Bouchard in the second set and wrapped up victory in less than an hour. "Yesterday was tough but I really had to put that behind me," Williams said. "My coach really helped me. "He told me 'You're still in the tournament', even though I felt like I was out of the tournament."  Meanwhile, in the White Group, Caroline Wozniacki moved closer to securing her place in the semi-finals with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Agnieszka Radwanska. The Dane recovered from 3-0 down to snatch the opening set, and then clinched the match in the second with a run of four straight games. "I just kept fighting for every point," said Wozniacki, who beat Maria Sharapova in her opening match. "I've been pleased with the way I've been running a lot of balls down and taking advantage of the important points." In the other match in that group, Petra Kvitova beat Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-2 to leave the Russian's chances of qualifying for the semi-finals hanging by a thread. It was the Czech's first success against Sharapova in their last six meetings. "Everything I did today was really good," Wimbledon champion Kvitova said. "I'm glad that I beat her and I have still a chance to go to the semi-final." |
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Post by Admin on Oct 24, 2014 21:15:43 GMT
Caroline Wozniacki is a good friend. So good, that she stepped on court on Friday in Singapore not really needing to win but she gave 100 per cent anyway to rout Petra Kvitova, and in the process, allowed her long-time pal Agnieszka Radwanska to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Friendship will mean little though when Wozniacki takes on another BFF, Serena Williams, who clinched the year-end No1 ranking and booked a place in the semis without picking up a racquet on Friday. It will be the fourth meeting of the year between the pair and the Dane, who enters the semis undefeated this week, is well aware of her poor record against Williams.  “My matchup against Serena so far hasn't been great,” said Wozniacki after easing past Kvitova 6-2, 6-3 yesterday. “I’ve won once and lost nine or ten times. I don't even count anymore. But it's a new tournament and it's a new week. I've been playing well really and I believe that if I play like I did today then it doesn't matter who's on the other side [of the court], I can win.” |
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Post by Admin on Oct 25, 2014 20:53:10 GMT
 Simona Halep of Romania plays against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during the semifinals of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Singapore on Oct 25, 2014. World No. 4 Simona Halep will meet Serena Williams in the final of the WTA Finals Singapore, after she overcame Agnieszka Radwanska in the second semi-final of the competition on Saturday evening. The Romanian beat Radwanska 6-2, 6-2 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium to clinch a place in Sunday's final.  In the earlier semi-final, world No. 1 Williams clawed her way back from being one set down to beat Caroline Wozniacki 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6). |
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Post by Admin on Oct 26, 2014 21:02:45 GMT
 Serena Williams beat Romania's Simona Halep to win the season-ending WTA Tour Finals for the third year in a row on the event's debut in Singapore. The American top seed won 6-3 6-0 to claim the WTA title for the fifth time. Williams also gained revenge for suffering her heaviest defeat in 16 years against Halep in the group stage. The 33-year-old, who won her 18th Grand Slam singles title at the US Open in September, will end the year as world number one for the fourth time. "I had to play more Serena-style tennis and just do what I do best," said Williams. "I was expecting a much better player than I was in the earlier round. Being ready for that really was able to help me out." Halep could have eliminated Williams in the group stage had she lost to Ana Ivanovic in straight sets, but the Romanian lost in three to throw the champion a lifeline. "I have no regrets, because I did my job on court against Ivanovic," said Halep. "I tried to win the match. I couldn't, but I never thought that I have to lose in two sets against Ivanovic." Both Williams and Halep were below their best in the final, which failed to live up to the American's thrilling semi-final win over Caroline Wozniacki, but once she had clinched the first set there was little danger of Williams giving up her title. She began the match in edgy fashion, having to save break point in her opening service game before being broken in her second, but Halep could not convert a chance to move 3-1 ahead and was pegged back.    |
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