The Last Women’s Event Of The Year Is Here And Williams Is The Favorite

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 21st October 2013

The Last Women’s Event Of The Year Is Here And Williams Is The Favorite

epa03899532 Serena Williams of USA gives a thumbs up sign to fans after defeating Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in the women's singles finals at the China Open tennis tournament at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, China, 06 October 2013. EPA/ADRIAN BRADSHAW |

Serena Williams is the overwhelming favorite to become the first player to successfully defend the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships title since Justine Henin in 2007 but the world no.1 maintains she has been placed in the toughest group for round robin play throughout the week in Istanbul.

Although 32 year-old Williams has been a regular on the WTA scene for more than a decade and a half, this is only the eighth time she has contested the calendar-ending event. So far she has raised the trophy twice and having been placed in the same group with 2011 champion Petra Kvitova, world no.4 Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber, recent winner of the Linz title in Austria, Williams maintains she’s been handed a demanding task.

“It’s a tough group,” said Williams, looking at the other quartet of second ranked Victoria Azarenka, Li Na, Sara Errani and the WTA comeback player Jelena Jankovic. “I have to be ready. That’s the thing about this tournament and why it’s so tough, you have to be ready from the first match on.

Williams heads into the tournament with a career-best year of ten titles from 2013 and a 73-4 winning record. The reigning French and US Open champion has not lost a singles match since being pitched out of Wimbledon by Sabine Lisicki.

She took center stage at the draw ceremony when a musical group presented the entertainment and presented the top seed – attired in a striking red dress – with the microphone to sing the chorus of the song “Oh Istanbul.”

Should Williams do as form, as most observers expects, and go through the event unbeaten with five wins Williams will win five matches, she will move into second spot behind Martina Navratilova who registered 21 consecutive victories in these season-ending championships.

“It’s funny because when you get older you try to play less, but she’s looking to play more,” said Navratilova. “But I think Serena’s finding that it makes her sharper as well.

“It’s like she’s kind of discovered herself in this last year in that she’s really improved her game, improved that median game. She’s adding more spin to the ball so she can rally with anybody for as long as it takes and then of course she has that bazooka that most players don’t have. And she likes it; she likes the security and not wondering.

“She’s got a Plan B. She can go for broke or she can just dial it back. In the past, usually she couldn’t dial it back.”

Topics: 10sballs.com, Agnieszka Radwanska, Angelique Kerber, Jelena Jankovic, Justine Henin, Li Na, Martina Navratilova, Petra Kvitova, Sabine Lasicki, Sara Errani, Serena Williams, TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open, Victoria Azarenka, Wimbledon, Wta