Azarenka seals year-end top spot, faces Sharapova
View(s):ISTANBUL, Oct 26, 2012 (AFP) – Victoria Azarenka at last made sure of the year-end world number one ranking, just two matches from the finish of the 2012 season, when she overcame Li Na to reach the WTA Championships semi-finals Friday.
The Australian Open champion from Belarus claimed a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win over the Chinese star to set-up a last-four clash on Saturday against Maria Sharapova, the French Open champion.
The other semi-final will see Olympic, Wimbledon and US Open winner Serena Williams facing Agnieszka Radwanska who needed three hours and 29 minutes, the longest match in the history of the 40-year-old championships, to claim a 6-7 (6/8) 7-5, 6-4 win over Italy’s Sara Errani.
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus celebrates her victory over Na Li of China during the WTA Championships tennis tournament in Istanbul, on October 26, 2012. AFP
“It feels great, a dream come true,” said Azarenka, who was also US Open runner-up in 2012 and put together a 26-match winning streak earlier this year.
“I want to play my last matches here and then enjoy being the world number one. I want to focus on this competition, there are still lots of challeges ahead.”
Azarenka’s achievement had looked in doubt for much of an unpredictable 68-minute first set, during which 2011 French Open champion Li hit hard, flat, and ambitiously and the favourite sometimes struggled.
After dropping her opening service game, Azarenka trailed 0-2, 1-3, and 2-4, and although she too hit some spanking ground strokes and restored parity at 4-4, she promptly dropped serve again, partly the outcome of a fourth double fault.
Li was then very unlucky not to reach set point at 5-4, 40-30, which would really have increased Azarenka’s stress levels.
The Chinese player appeared to have struck a great forehand cross court winner, only for the rally to be replayed because of a line judge’s incorrect call on a previous shot.
Li then lost that vital game with a double fault on break point.
The set was eventually decided by a tie-break which hinged on two points Azarenka won against the Li serve from 4-5, both from slightly over-ambitious Li over-hits.
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