Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova Advance To Finals At WTA Championships
Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams have advanced to the finals of the WTA Championships.
Sharapova earned her spot in the final match by beating Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka may not be playing for the championship tomorrow but she will leave the tournament as the number one player in the world.
Azarenka said:
“I give Maria all the credit today. She played really well and looks in great form. She deserved to win 100 percent. Could I play better? Yeah, I could have moved better for sure. But it’s done today. I have no regrets. I finished a loss with a smile for the first time.”
USA Today reports that Sharapova’s victory over Azarenka assures her the No.2 spot in the rankings regardless of the outcome tomorrow.
Williams faced fourth ranked Agnieszka Radwanska to earn her spot in the finals. Williams was never really challenged during the match, winning 6-2, 6-1. Boston.com reports that Radwanska may have been a little tired from her 3 hour and 29 minute match, the longest best-of-three-sets match in WTA Championships history, against Sara Errani.
Williams said:
“I definitely had an idea that she was tired. I told her (after the match) it was awesome that she played so well and played through another match after playing a good eight hours.”
Sharapova, who recently completed a career grand slam by winning the French Open, will be going for her second WTA Championship title.
“Everybody is hurting at this time. Some show it more than others. I haven’t beaten her (Williams) for a long time. She is certainly the one to beat this year, especially the second part of the year with the way she’s played. No reason why I can’t go out there and give it my all.”
Williams has been hot for the last few months. She won the U.S. Open and took gold at the London Olympics. According to USA Today, she’s only lost twice in her last 49 matches. If she beats Sharapova tomorrow she’ll claim her third WTA Championship.
