Once again, I correctly predicted two of the three results today.
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Williams went up a gear in beating (6/5) Kvitova 62 63 for her 5th win in as many meetings against the Czech, thus becoming the first player to qualify for the semi finals. Kvitova started promisingly, holding 3 break points against Williams in the opening game behind some fierce hitting. However, Serena saved two with aces (she hit 11 throughout the match) and from there on in, seized control. Crouching low on the returns to attack the ball as early as possible, she hit 27 winners to only 13 unforced errors, won 15 straight points at one stage and incredibly 18 successive points on serve! Kvitova tried to control the game as she always does, but just couldn't make any impact on the return.
5/4 Li now has one foot in the semi finals after battling past (8/7) Jankovic 63 26 63, the first time she has ever won 2 matches in the round robins here in 3 years. The match was full of streaks as both players fluctuated in form, hitting many more unforced errors than winners. Li laboured to break, converting only 6 of 21 opportunities but despite her frequently erratic forehand was able to go on the most important streaks, winning the last 3 games of the first and third sets. This makes Friday's matches pivotal in terms of who will qualify for the semi finals.
9/8 Kerber was stunning in thrashing (4/3) Radwanska 62 62 to avenge her recent loss to the Pole in Beijing and eliminate her from the competition. Kerber dominated every aspect of the court, whether she was on the attack or defending to win her first match in 5 at the WTA Championships. Her forehand was devastating, contributing to a lot of her 31 winners ,whilst she only hit 11 unforced errors and didn't face a break point all match. Radwanska hit 10 winners to 10 unforced errors but as I predicted often looked lost and disinterested as she failed to hit through the slow court. After a consistent year, it genuinely looked as if Radwanska couldn't wait for the off season!
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