****** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******
* Li wins White Group
* Kvitova edges Kerber to advance in Red Group
* Errani tops Jankovic but goes nowhere
****** TODAY’S WOMEN’S NEWS ******
Istanbul
Singles – Round Robin: (4) Li Na def. (2) Victoria Azarenka 6-2 6-1
Victoria Azarenka’s physical problems apparently were real. This was a contest for a semifinal spot, and it was really not very interesting — Li Na said later that she thought Azarenka (who hurt her back in the first set, but who was already in trouble) would retire from the match. Azarenka will end the year at #2, but a weak #2, and she still has the Australian Open to defend at the start of next year. Li ends up undefeated, and cruises into the semifinal; she is still at #5 in the rankings, but if she can reach the final, she will move ahead of Agnieszka Radwanska and Maria Sharapova to end the year at #3.
Singles – Round Robin: (5) Petra Kvitova def. (8) Angelique Kerber 6-7(3-7) 6-2 6-3
This was the day’s really hot match — the only one where there were no outside factors influencing the group standings. Whoever won this was in the semifinal; whoever lost was out. Simple as that. Fitting, perhaps, that it was a two hour slugfest. Although it perhaps shouldn’t have been as close as it was; Petra Kvitova won a lot more points but didn’t win the right points. Still, she is in the semifinal — against Li, since Kvitova came in second in her group. Unfortunately, what she does from now on makes no difference in the rankings. Because Li won all her matches and Kvitova lost one, Kvitova can no longer take the #5 ranking. She will end the year at #6. Kerber will be the year-end #9.
Singles – Round Robin: (6) Sara Errani def. (7) Jelena Jankovic 6-4 6-4
Given the way Sara Errani was limping around in her first match, and the fact that she couldn’t reach the semifinal, we wondered if she would even play this; she could have pulled out and let Caroline Wozniacki take her place. Instead, she came out and played her most successful match. She even earns third place in her group. It doesn’t really matter; she can’t rise above #7, and Jankovic — who is in the semifinal despite this loss — could still pass her.
****** TODAY’S FEATURE ******
KEYWORDS: No Feature Today
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS WEEK ON THE WTA:
Istanbul (Championships/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: Serena Williams
NEXT WEEK ON THE WTA:
Sofia (International Championships/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: Nadia Petrova
************ STATS AND FACTS ************
**RANKINGS
Estimated WTA Rankings As of October 25, 2013
Rank &
Prior
Rank….Name…………..Points
1..(1) SWILLIAMS ……… 12450*
2..(2) AZARENKA ………..8046
3..(3) Sharapova ……… 5891
4..(4) ARADWANSKA ………5890
5..(5) LI ……………..5685*
6..(6) KVITOVA ……….. 4775*
7..(7) ERRANI ………….4435
8..(8) JANKOVIC ………..4170*
9..(9) KERBER ………….3965
10.(10) Wozniacki ……… 3520
11.(11) Stephens ………..3185
12.(12) Bartoli ……….. 3172
13.(13) Vinci …………. 3170
14.(14) Halep …………. 3085
15.(15) Lisicki ……….. 2920
16.(16) Ivanovic ………..2765
17.(17) Suarez Navarro …..2735
18.(18) Kirilenko ……… 2640
19.(19) Stosur ………….2580
20.(20) Flipkens ………..2495
21.(21) Kuznetsova ………2341
22.(22) Cirstea ……….. 2170
23.(23) Cibulkova ……… 2076
24.(24) Makarova ………..2066
25.(25) Vesnina ……….. 1920
26.(26) Pavlyuchenkova …..1890
27.(27) Cornet ………….1790
28.(28) Hampton ……….. 1781
29.(29) Safarova ………..1775
30.(30) Kanepi ………….1752
**DRAWS
Istanbul — Week of October 22
RED GROUP……….SWILL….ARADW….KVITO….KERBE….W/L….Sets
1 S. Williams……XXXXX….SWILL….SWILL….SWILL….3/0….6/0
6 Kvitova……….SWILL….KVITO….XXXXX….KVITO….2/1….4/4
8 Kerber………..SWILL….ARADW….KVITO….XXXXX….1/2….3/4
3 A. Radwanska…..SWILL….XXXXX….KVITO….KERBE….0/3….0/6
WHITE GROUP……..AZARE….LI…….ERRAN….JANKO….W/L….Sets
4 Li……………LI…….XXXXX….LI…….LI…….3/0….6/1
7 Jankovic………JANKO….LI…….ERRAN….XXXXX….1/2….3/4
5 Errani………..AZARE….Li…….XXXXX….ERRAN….1/2….2/4
2 Azarenka………XXXXX….LI…….AZARE….JANKO….1/2….2/4
SEMIFINAL
1 S Williams
7 Jankovic
5 Kvitova
4 Li
******** SCORES ********
FRIDAY
Istanbul
Singles
White Group
(4) Li Na def. (2) Victoria Azarenka 6-2 6-1
(6) Sara Errani def. (7) Jelena Jankovic 6-4 6-4
Red Group
(5) Petra Kvitova def. (8) Angelique Kerber 6-7(3-7) 6-2 6-3
Topics: 10sballs.com, Agnieszka Radwanska, Jelena Jankovic, Li Na, Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, Serena Williams, Tennis, Tennis News, Victoria Azarenka, Wta