Germany's Angelique Kerber hits a return to Australia's Samantha Stosur during their semi-final match at the WTA Hong Kong Open yesterday. (AFP)
DPA/Hong Kong
Angelique Kerber staked a claim on a place in the WTA year-end event by reaching the final of the Hong Kong Open yesterday, with a title victory the key to the German’s participation in the Singapore season wrap-up.
She also moved into position for a possible fifth title this season.
Second seed Kerber defeated fifth seed Samantha Stosur, a former US Open champion, 6-2, 6-2 and will play former world number one Serb Jelena Jankovic, a 6-4, 7-5 winner over crowd favourite Venus Williams, in today's final.
Kerber is hoping to come lucky for the third time by reaching a year-end event with four of the eight positions still in contention with one week to go in the regular season. “I’m feeling good after this match, I was playing good tennis today,” said Kerber. “It’s always tough to play Sam. She’s a great champion and a great opponent. I’m really happy about my performance.”
Kerber advanced in a brief 71 minutes over Stosur, breaking the Australian five times. The 27-year-old, who is standing ninth in the rankings, said she kept her mind strictly on the match and not on the possibilities that lay ahead.
“I’m not thinking too much about needing one more win tomorrow, though. It’s going to be another day and another match, and I’m just going to try and play some good tennis and win the final here.”
Kerber played the year-ender in Istanbul in 2012 and 2013.
She will be playing her first final since Stanford two and a half months ago and stands a solid 4-1 against Jankovic. Kerber has won their last three matches, including a two-hour second-round victory two weeks ago in Wuhan, China.
“I’ll just try to focus on my own game and try to play like I did the last few matches, I’ll just go for it, try to play great tennis again, and try to win my next final.”
Wuhan winner Williams, the Hong Kong third seed, missed in her attempt to claim two Asian titles in the space of three weeks.
The chase to Singapore also tightened for Williams, who began the week on provisional 11th. Had she reached the final, her place in the field would have been assured.
The 35-year-old was weighed down by seven double-faults at Victoria Park, was broken four times and squandered a 3-0 lead in the second set as the former number one Jankovic saved 14 of 16 break points in a win lasting for just over two hours.
Jankovic is prepared for another battle as she seeks a second trophy from four weeks in Asia after winning the title at Guangzhou near Hong Kong in late September.
Radwanska to face
Kovinic in Tianjin final
Second seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland easily won her semi-final match at the Tianjin Open yesterday, setting up a final against unseeded Danka Kovinic of Montengero. Radwanska beat third seed Czech Karolina Pliskova in straight sets 6-3, 6-1. Kovinic, meanwhile, beat Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia 6-2, 6-7, 6-2. World No. 6 Radwanska can join Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza, Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova in securing places in the eight woman WTA Finals field by winning her second title of the year and 16th of her career today. The WTA Finals begin in Singapore on Oct 25.
The semi finals were played in extremely poor air quality, with government data showing levels of PM2.5 particulates—small enough to deeply penetrate the lungs—nearly eight times the maximum recommended by the World Health Organization in a 24-hour period.
