WTA Championships: Wozniacki Out, Radwanska Impresses

Wozniacki packs from Instanbul

The biggest surprise of the WTA Championships has already been set as main favorite Caroline Wozniacki packed from Istanbul earlier than expected. Petra Kvitova ousted the world champion 6-4, 6-2 in the Red Group to secure a berth into the best four term.

The Czech, winner of four titles so far this season, Kvitova needed nearly one hour and a half to progress from the tough group. Kvitova improved her play as the game progress, breaking the world champion once in the opener and twice more in the second set. On the other side, Wozniacki, who was given no chance to build a break point, suffered her second defeat against the world number 3.

Kvitova finished the game with a 59 first serve percentage, seven aces, three double faults and a 70 service percentage, winning at the same time 62 points out of 112 played as well as 41 percent of return points. Concerning Wozniacki’s showing, it featured a 63 first serve percentage, two double faults and a poor 30 return percentage.

The 21 year old Dane still leads the head to head series with Kvitova 3-2 with the last win coming from last term’s Beijing event.

Regarding the White group, Victoria Azarenka has also reached the semi finals after crashing Li Na in two similar sets, 6-2, 6-2. It took the Belarusian one hour and a half to beat the Chinese against whom she managed to create 11 break points. Azarenka converted two out of five break points in the opener and two more in six tries within the second term to become one of the main favorites of the big event.

Azarenka is led 4-2 in the direct confrontations with the world number 5 Li Na whose last win dates from this year’s French Open. The Belarusian won 80 percent of first serve points, committed a couple of double faults and converted four break points, compared to her opponent’s 67 first serve percentage, an ace, four double faults and a 29 return percentage.

Another surprise came from Agnieszka Radwanska who stunned world number two Vera Zvonareva in three sets after conceding the first set very easily, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5. The Russian won the first set after converting three out of four break points against the sleeping Polish who was given no chance to break in the first round.

But the second set saw Radwanska come from behind and play much more consistent, breaking the favorite three times. Agnieszka thus pushed the meeting further into a third set decider which she dominated as well. Vera broke her opponent three times but conceded four services to allow the world number eight to clinch the victory in nearly two hours and a half.

Radwanska has now gone 4-2 ahead of the Russian in the head to head series. Her previous win dated from this term’s Tokyo event. “This is the Championships, it doesn’t matter if it’s 5-0 or 0-5. I just kept fighting until the end, every shot and every point,” said the Polish after the game.

“On the third match point I just told myself to keep getting the ball back, that’s it! It’s always great to win matches like this, especially against a player like Vera, who is very consistent and always tough to beat,” she added.

Radwanska finished the game with a 67 first serve percentage, an ace, a double fault and a 49 return percentage, converting seven out of ten break points. On the other side, Vera converted the same number of break points in 12 tries, but the Russian was dragged down by a poor first serve percentage and a poor late showing.

She also won 51 percent of service points and 50 percent of return ones. Her semi final spot is still uncertain as she still needs one more win to book it.

Istanbul WTA Championships Prize Money:

Winner – $1,750,000

Runner up – $890,000

Semi finalist – $485,000

RR (two wins) – $340,000

RR (one win) – $225,000

RR (zero wins) – $110,00011