| 2012 WTA Tour Championships | |
|---|---|
| Date | 23–28 October |
| Edition | 42nd (singles) / 37th (doubles) |
| Draw | 8S / 4D |
| Surface | Hard (indoor) |
| Location | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Venue | Sinan Erdem Dome |
| Champions | |
| Singles | |
 Serena Williams | |
| Doubles | |
 Maria Kirilenko /Nadia Petrova | |
The2012 WTA Tour Championships was a tennis tournament played atIstanbul, Turkey from October 23 to October 28, 2012. It was the 42nd edition of the singles event and the 37th edition of the doubles competition. The tournament was held at theSinan Erdem Dome and was contested by eight singles players and four doubles teams. It was the larger of two season ending championships on the2012 WTA Tour.
The tournament featured the top eight singles players and the top four doubles teams in the race to Istanbul.Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwańska, Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitová, Sara Errani and Li Na qualified for the singles competition. Kvitová withdrew from the championships after one match and was replaced by Sam Stosur. Radwańska and Errani's round robin match set the record for the longest match in WTA Tour Championships history within the best-of-three system.[1] Azarenka, Sharapova, Williams and Radwańska qualified from the red and white groups for the semifinals. This was the first time since 1989 that the world's top four ranked women's players all made it to the semifinals of the tournament and the first time since 2003 that the top four seeds made the same stage.[2] Williams went on to win her third season ending championship.
In the doubles Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká, Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond and Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova made up the teams. The competition started in the semifinals and it was the all-Russian pairing of Kirilenko and Petrova who claimed the title.
Serena Williams defeatedMaria Sharapova, 6–4, 6–3.It was Williams' seventh title of the season and the 46th of her career. It was her third WTA Championships title, having also won in 2001 and 2009.
Maria Kirilenko /Nadia Petrova defeated
Andrea Hlaváčková /Lucie Hradecká, 6–1, 6–4.
The 2012 WTA Championships took place at theSinan Erdem Dome 23–28 October 2012. It was the 41st edition of the event. The tournament was run by theWomen's Tennis Association (WTA) and was part of the2012 WTA Tour. It was the larger of the two season ending championships on the2012 WTA Tour, the smaller being the latter was only for players who did not qualify for the WTA Championships.
The singles event featured eight players and began as a round robin event, split into two groups of four. Over the first four days of competition, each player met the other three players in their group, with the top two in each group advancing to the semifinals. The first-placed player in one group met the second-placed player in the other group, and vice versa. The winners of each semifinal met in the championship match.
The final standings of each group shall be determined by the first of the following methods that apply:
The doubles competition has four teams playing in a straight knockout format from the semifinal stage.[3]
The total prize money for the 2012 WTA Championships was 4.9 millionUnited States dollars.[4]
| Stage | Singles | Doubles | Points1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champion | RR2 + $1,295,000 | $375,000 | RR2 + 810 |
| Runner-up | RR2 + $435,000 | $187,500 | RR2 + 360 |
| Semifinalist | RR2 + $30,000 | $93,750 | RR2 |
| Round robin (3 wins) | $455,000 | – | 690 |
| Round robin (2 wins) | $340,000 | – | 530 |
| Round robin (1 win) | $225,000 | – | 370 |
| Round robin (0 wins) | $110,000 | – | 210 |
| Alternates | $50,000 | – |
| # | Players | Points | Tourn | Date Qualified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Victoria Azarenka (BLR) | 10,190 | 15(14) | 6 Sep |
| 2 | Maria Sharapova (RUS) | 9,115 | 15(12) | 6 Sep |
| 3 | Serena Williams (USA) | 7,900 | 13(12) | 10 Sep |
| 4 |  Agnieszka Radwańska (POL) | 7,095 | 20 | 24 Sep |
| 5 |  Angelique Kerber (GER) | 5,470 | 19 | 4 Oct |
| 6 | Petra Kvitová (CZE) | 5,215 | 18(16) | 4 Oct |
| 7 |  Sara Errani (ITA) | 4,855 | 21 | 4 Oct |
| 8 |  Li Na (CHN) | 4,726 | 17(16) | 5 Oct |
On September 6,Victoria Azarenka andMaria Sharapova became the first two players to qualify for the championships.[5]
Victoria Azarenka started the year strongly, winning theApia International Sydney overLi Na, 6–2, 1–6, 6–3.[6] She then followed this up by winning her maiden grand slam at theAustralian Open, defeatingMaria Sharapova, 6–3, 6–0. With the win, she claimed the no. 1 ranking for the first time.[7] Her winning streak continued in theQatar Total Open. She won the title without dropping a set, beatingSamantha Stosur, 6–1, 6–2 in the final.[8] She then won her fourth title of the year at theBNP Paribas Open, once again defeating Sharapova, 6–2, 6–3.[9] Her streak ended when she was defeated byMarion Bartoli in the quarterfinals ofSony Ericsson Open.[10] During the clay season, she reached back-to-back finals, inPorsche Tennis Grand Prix, losing to Sharapova, 1–6, 4–6,[11] and theMutua Madrid Open, losing toSerena Williams, 1–6, 3–6.[12] At theFrench Open, she lost in the fourth round toDominika Cibulková, 2–6, 6–7(4–7).[13] Seeded second atWimbledon, she reached the semifinals, where she was defeated by Serena, 3–6, 6–7(6–8).[14] At theSummer Olympics, she reached the semifinals, where she once again lost to Serena, 1–6, 2–6.[15] However, she won the bronze medal match againstMaria Kirilenko, earningBelarus their first tennis medal in history.[16] She teamed up withMax Mirnyi for the mixed-doubles event, where she won the gold medal after defeatingLaura Robson andAndy Murray in the gold-medal match.[17] Seeded first at theUS Open, Azarenka defeated the defending champion,Samantha Stosur, in the quarterfinals and Sharapova in the semifinals, but lost to Williams in her first US Open final, 2–6, 6–2, 5–7.[18] She then won theChina Open as the top seed, defeating Sharapova 6–3, 6–1 in the final and did not drop a set in the tournament.[19] Azarenka won her sixth title of the year at theGenerali Ladies Linz defeatingJulia Görges 6–3, 6–4, after blowing a 5–0 in the second.[20]
Maria Sharapova started 2012 by reaching the final of theAustralian Open. Being the favorite for the title, she succumbed in a 3–6, 0–6 defeat by first time grand slam finalist,Victoria Azarenka, in the final.[7] She followed up her consistent performance with back-to-back final appearances at theBNP Paribas Open, losing to Azarenka, 2–6, 3–6,[9] and theSony Ericsson Open, losing toAgnieszka Radwańska, 5–7, 4–6.[21] She then won her first title of the year at thePorsche Tennis Grand Prix, defeating world no. 1 Azarenka, 6–1, 6–4.[11] She then also won theInternazionali BNL d'Italia, defeatingLi Na, 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–5), coming back from 0–4 in the second set.[22] At theFrench Open, she won her fourth grand slam singles title, defeatingSara Errani, 6–3, 6–2, in the final. The victory gave her a career grand slam and returned her to world no. 1.[23] EnteringWimbledon as the top seed, Sharapova lost in the fourth round toSabine Lisicki, 4–6, 3–6.[24] She rebounded well at theSummer Olympics, winning the silver medal after being outplayed bySerena Williams in the final, 0–6, 1–6.[25] Despite skipping theUS Open Series, she reached theUS Open's semifinals, but lost to Azarenka.[26] She then reached the final of theChina Open, once again facing Azarenka but lost 3–6, 1–6.[19]
On September 10,Serena Williams became the third player to qualify for the championships.[27]
Serena Williams did not enjoy a good start of the season, injuring her ankle at her first tournament of 2012 inBrisbane and succumbing in the fourth round of theAustralian Open toEkaterina Makarova, 2–6, 3–6.[28] In the clay season, she won her first title on clay since 2008 at theFamily Circle Cup, losing only 15 games and defeatingLucie Šafářová, 6–0, 6–1, in the final.[29] She then won theMutua Madrid Open overVictoria Azarenka, 6–1, 6–3.[12] Coming to theFrench Open as a heavy favorite with a 17-match winning streak, Williams suffered a shocking first-round loss toVirginie Razzano, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 3–6. This marked Williams' first loss in the first round in a Grand Slam.[30] However, she regrouped well and triumphed atWimbledon by defeatingAgnieszka Radwańska in the final, 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, for her 14th Grand Slam title, came back after losing a 4–2 lead in the second.[31] The following week, she defended her title at theBank of the West Classic, defeatingCoCo Vandeweghe, 7–5, 6–3.[32] At theSummer Olympics, she won the gold medal after dominatingMaria Sharapova, 6–0, 6–1, in the final. She lost just a total of 17 games during the event. This victory completed the career Golden Slam in singles, making her only the second woman (afterSteffi Graf) to do so.[25] She also won the doubles gold with sisterVenus Williams for the third time, overLucie Hradecká andAndrea Hlaváčková, 6–4, 6–4.[33] Her 19-match winning streak ended at theWestern & Southern Open toAngelique Kerber.[34] At theUS Open, she reached the final with the loss of just 19 games. In the final, she defeated world no. 1,Victoria Azarenka, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5, for her second Grand Slam singles title of the year and 15th overall.[18]
On September 24,Agnieszka Radwańska became the fourth player to qualify for the championships.[35]
Agnieszka Radwańska began the season with a semifinal appearance atApia International Sydney and a quarterfinal finish at theAustralian Open.[36] She claimed her first title of the year at theDubai Tennis Championships overJulia Görges, 7–5, 6–4.[37] She claimed her second title of the year at theSony Ericsson Open by defeatingMaria Sharapova in the final, 7–5, 6–4.[21] In the clay season, she reached two semifinals, before losing in her opening match in theInternazionali BNL d'Italia toPetra Cetkovská, 4–6, 6–4, 1–6, her first lost to a player other than Azarenka in the year.[38] However, she bounced back by winning theBrussels Open overSimona Halep, 7–5, 6–0.[39] At theFrench Open, she fell toSvetlana Kuznetsova in the third round, 1–6, 2–6.[40] AtWimbledon, she reached the first Grand Slam singles final of her career, losing toSerena Williams, 1–6, 7–5, 2–6.[41] At theSummer Olympics, she was upset in the first round byJulia Görges, 5–7, 7–6(7–5), 4–6.[42] At theUS Open, she lost for the first time toRoberta Vinci in the fourth round, 1–6, 4–6.[43] She reached the final of the2012 Toray Pan Pacific Open, where she was the defending champion, but was upset in the final byNadia Petrova, 0–6, 6–1, 3–6.[44]
On October 4, three more spots were filled, asAngelique Kerber,Petra Kvitová, andSara Errani qualified for the championships.[45]
Angelique Kerber enjoyed her best season so far. She reached two semifinals in her Australian Open preparation, before losing in the third round of theAustralian Open toMaria Sharapova, 1–6, 2–6.[46] She then claimed her first career title at theOpen GDF Suez, defeatingMarion Bartoli, 7–6(7–3), 5–7, 6–3.[47] She won her second title of the year at thee-Boks Open, defeating defending championCaroline Wozniacki, 6–4, 6–4.[48] At theFrench Open, she fell in the quarterfinals toSara Errani 3–6, 6–7(2–7).[49] In the grass season, she reached the final of theAegon International, losing toTamira Paszek, 7–5, 3–6, 5–7, despite having five match points and a 5–3 lead.[50] AtWimbledon, reached her second Grand Slam semifinal, but ended up losing toAgnieszka Radwańska, 3–6, 4–6.[51] At theWestern & Southern Open, Kerber reached her first Premier 5 final and fourth final of the year, but lost toLi Na, 1–6, 6–3, 1–6.[52] At theUS Open, after reaching the semifinals the previous year, she fell in the fourth round to Errani, 6–7(5–7), 3–6.[53]
Petra Kvitová came into 2012 as a strong contender. She began the year by winning theHopman Cup withTomáš Berdych over France'sMarion Bartoli andRichard Gasquet.[54] At theAustralian Open, she reached the semifinals, losing toMaria Sharapova, 2–6, 6–3, 4–6.[citation needed] AtWimbledon as the defending champion, she lost to eventual championSerena Williams in the quarterfinals, 3–6, 5–7.[55] She then claimed her first title of the year at theRogers Cup, defeatingLi Na, 7–5, 2–6, 6–3, in the final.[56] She claimed theUS Open Series top spot, after winning theNew Haven Open at Yale, defeating RussianMaria Kirilenko, 7–6(11–9), 7–5.[57] At theUS Open, she was upset byMarion Bartoli in the fourth round, 6–1, 2–6, 0–6.[58]
Sara Errani is having a breakthrough season. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinals at theAustralian Open, losing toPetra Kvitová, 4–6, 4–6.[59] She then won her first title of the year at theAbierto Mexicano Telcel, defeatingFlavia Pennetta, 5–7, 7–6(7–2), 6–0.[60] She then claimed theBarcelona Ladies Open overDominika Cibulková, 6–2, 6–2.[61] At theBudapest Grand Prix, the Italian claimed her third title of the year overElena Vesnina, 7–5, 6–4.[62] At theFrench Open, Errani made a surprising run, reaching the final and earning her first top-10 wins over no. 10Angelique Kerber, 6–3, 7–6,(7–2) and no. 6Samantha Stosur, 7–5, 1–6, 6–3, before losing toMaria Sharapova, 3–6, 2–6, in the final. The result broke her into the top 10.[23][49][63] AtWimbledon, Errani was on the receiving end of the firstgolden set in a Grand Slam, when she lost toYaroslava Shvedova, 0–6, 4–6, in the third round.[64] However, she bounced back by winning her fourth title at theInternazionali Femminili di Palermo overBarbora Záhlavová-Strýcová 6–1, 6–3.[65] At theUS Open, she reached her second Grand Slam semifinal, where she lost toSerena Williams, 1–6, 2–6.[66]
On October 5, after reaching the semifinals of theChina Open,Li Na became the last qualifier.[67]
Li Na's season was rather lackluster. She started the year by reaching the final of theApia International Sydney (where she was the defending champion), losing toVictoria Azarenka in the final, 2–6, 6–1, 3–6.[6] At theAustralian Open, she lost toKim Clijsters in the fourth round, 6–4, 6–7(6–8), 4–6, after squandering four consecutive match points when ahead 6–2 in the second-set tiebreak.[68] She reached her second final of the year at theInternazionali BNL d'Italia, losing toMaria Sharapova, 6–4, 4–6, 6–7(5–7), despite leading 4–0 in the second set.[22] At theFrench Open as the defending champion, she was upset byYaroslava Shvedova in the fourth round, 6–3, 2–6, 0–6.[69] AtWimbledon, she fell toSorana Cîrstea, 3–6, 4–6, in the second round.[70] She then reached her third final of the year at theRogers Cup, losing toPetra Kvitová, 5–7, 6–2, 3–6.[56] She won her first title of the year at theWestern & Southern Open overAngelique Kerber, 1–6, 6–3, 6–1, placing her second in theUS Open Series.[52] At theUS Open, she received a shock exit in the third round toLaura Robson, 4–6, 7–6(7–5), 2–6.[71]
The first alternate for the championships is AustralianSamantha Stosur. Stosur reached 2 finals in the year, but failed to capture a title. She reached her first final of the year at theQatar Total Open losing to top seedVictoria Azarenka 1–6, 2–6.[8] She reached her second final at theKremlin Cup losing toCaroline Wozniacki 2–6, 6–4, 5–7, despite leading 3–1 in the final set.[72] She reached the semifinals of theFrench Open losing toSara Errani 5–7, 6–1, 3–6.[63] As the defending champion, she fell in the quarterfinals of theUS Open losing to Azarenka 1–6, 6–4, 6–7(5–7).[73] The second alternate isMarion Bartoli, who is an alternate for the second straight year. She reached her first final at theOpen GDF Suez losing toAngelique Kerber 6–7(3–7), 7–5, 3–6.[47] She reached her second final of the year at theMercury Insurance Open losing toDominika Cibulková 1–6, 5–7.[74] She reached the quarterfinals of theUS Open losing toMaria Sharapova 6–3, 3–6, 4–6.[75]
| # | Players | Points | Tourn | Date Qualified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sara Errani (ITA) Roberta Vinci (ITA) | 10,097 | 15 | 6 September |
| 2 | Andrea Hlaváčková (CZE) Lucie Hradecká (CZE) | 7,380 | 14 | 10 September |
| 3 | Liezel Huber (USA) Lisa Raymond (USA) | 7,036 | 19 | 10 September |
| 4 | Maria Kirilenko (RUS) Nadia Petrova (RUS) | 5,325 | 12 | 20 October |
On September 6,Sara Errani andRoberta Vinci became the first doubles team to qualify for the championships.[5]
Sara Errani andRoberta Vinci had a breakthrough season as a team winning 8 titles. They won their first two titles of the year back-to-back at theMonterrey Open overDate-Krumm &Zhang 6–2, 7–6(8–6)[76] andAbierto Mexicano Telcel overDomínguez Lino &Parra Santonja 6–2, 6–1.[77] They won their third title at theBarcelona Ladies Open overPennetta &Schiavone 6–0, 6–2.[78] They then won 4 titles in a row, this begun in theMutua Madrid Open winning 6–1, 3–6, [10–4] andInternazionali BNL d'Italia 6–2, 7–5 both times overMakarova &Vesnina.[79][80] They then won their first slam titles at theParis againstKirilenko &Petrova 4–6, 6–4, 6–2.[81] They continued their winning ways at theUNICEF Open defeating Kirilenko & Petrova 6–4, 3–6, [11–9].[82] They won their eight title and second slam at theUS Open againstHlaváčková andHradecká 6–4, 6–2.[83] They also reached two other finals both losing to Russian pairings, at theAustralian Open toKuznetsova &Zvonareva 7–5, 4–6, 3–6[84] and theSony Ericsson Open to Kirilenko & Petrova 6–7(0–7), 6–4, [4–10].[85]
On September 10, two more teams qualified for the championships. They wereAndrea Hlaváčková andLucie Hradecká from Czech Republic andLiezel Huber andLisa Raymond from the United States.[27]
Andrea Hlaváčková andLucie Hradecká had a solid season in 2012. They were able to reach 7 finals, winning 3 of them. Their first title came inASB Classic overGörges &Pennetta 6–7(2–7), 6–2, [10–7].[86] They then won their second title at theMemphis International overDushevina &Govortsova 6–3, 6–4. They did not reach a final until the grass season, however it came in with 5 straight finals. The first one in theWimbledon losing toSerena &Venus 5–7, 4–6[87] They then won the silver medal at theSummer Olympics losing once again to Serena & Venus 4–6, 4–6[88] They then won their biggest title of the year at theWestern & Southern Open defeatingSrebotnik &Zheng 6–1, 6–3.[89] The following week, they reach the final of theNew Haven Open at Yale losing toHuber &Raymond 6–4, 0–6, [4–10].[90] They then reached their second slam final of the year at theUS Open losing toErrani &Vinci 4–6, 2–6, their first loss to the team.[83]
Liezel Huber andLisa Raymond started early parts of the year strongly, winning 4 successive titles. They won theOpen GDF Suez overGrönefeld &Martić 7–6(7–3), 6–1[91] and theQatar Total Open overKops-Jones &Spears 6–3, 6–1.[92] They then beatMirza &Vesnina in theDubai Tennis Championships 6–2, 6–1 andBNP Paribas Open 6–2, 6–3.[93][94] They did not win any title until theNew Haven Open at Yale overHlaváčková &Hradecká 4–6, 6–0, [10–4]. At theSummer Olympics, they lost toMaria Kirilenko andNadia Petrova in the bronze medal match 4–6, 6–4, 6–1.[95] They finished runner-up at three tournaments this year, at theApia International Sydney losing toPeschke &Srebotnik 1–6, 6–4, [11–13],[96] at theAegon Classic toBabos &Hsieh 5–7, 7–6(7–2), [8–10],[97] andAegon International toLlagostera Vives &Martínez Sánchez 6–4 RET.
On October 20, the final spot went to the Russian pairing ofMaria Kirilenko andNadia Petrova after defeating co-contendersRaquel Kops-Jones andAbigail Spears in the semifinals of theKremlin Cup[98]
Maria Kirilenko andNadia Petrova compiled a solid season. They won in their first final of the year at theSony Ericsson Open defeating the Italian pairing ofErrani andVinci 7–6(7–0), 4–6, [10–4].[85] They reached their first slam final as a team at theFrench Open once again facing Errani and Vinci, but this time they lost 6–4, 4–6, 2–6.[81] They once again faced Errani and Vinci for the third time in a final in theUNICEF Open, but once again fell short losing 4–6, 6–3, [9–11].[82] At theOlympics, the Russians claimed the bronze medals defeating AmericansHuber andRaymond.[99] Petrova paired withVania King at theMercury Insurance Open and reached the final losing toKops-Jones andSpears 2–6, 4–6.[100] Petrova also reached another final, this time withKatarina Srebotnik at theRogers Cup losing toKlaudia Jans-Ignacik andMladenovic 5–7, 6–2, [7–10].[101]
The 2012 edition of the year-end championships featured three current or former World number ones, five Grand Slam champions, two Grand Slam finalists. Two competitors made their debut at the championships. The competitors were divided into two groups representing the colors of theflag of Turkey. The Red group consisted of no. 1 seed Victoria Azarenka, no. 3 seed Serena Williams, no. 5 seed Angelique Kerber and no. 8 seed Li Na. The White Group was composed of no. 2 seed Maria Sharapova, no. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwańska, no. 6 seed Petra Kvitová and no. 7 seed Sara Errani. Samantha Stosur and Marion Bartoli served as alternates.[102]
In the red group, their respective records in their group, World no. 1Victoria Azarenka was 7–14,Serena Williams was 16–3,Angelique Kerber was 2–8 andLi Na was 10–10. Leading the group Azarenka, has a poor record against Williams being 1–10 lifetime against her and having lost their last eight encounters, 4 times in 2012. Most recently they met in the finals of the2012 US Open with Williams winning 6–2, 2–6, 7–5. Against Kerber, she has a 2–0 record winning both encounters in 2012, the last in the quarterfinals of the2012 London Olympics 6–4, 7–5. Against Li, their head-to-head is tied at 4–4 but Azarenka has won their last three encounters, 2 coming in 2012, last meeting a 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 win in the quarterfinals of the2012 Mutua Madrid Open. Williams on the other hand, is tied at 1–1 head-to-head against Kerber losing their only encounter of 2012 at the2012 Western & Southern Open 6–4, 6–4. Against Li, she is 5–1 lifetime having won their last four encounters, the last encounter coming at the2010 Wimbledon Championships 7–5, 6–3. Kerber and Li, the head-to-head is 5–1 in favor of Li who has won their last two encounters. They met 3 times in 2012, most recently in the finals of the2012 Western & Southern Open with Li winning 1–6, 6–3, 6–1.[103]
In the white group, in their head-to-heads with players within their group,Maria Sharapova was 12–4,Agnieszka Radwańska was 7–11,Petra Kvitová was 8–4, andSara Errani was 1–8. Like Williams, Sharapova has a good record against each member of her group. Against Radwańska, she is 7–2 lifetime however lost their only encounter of 2012 in the finals of the2012 Sony Ericsson Open 7–5, 6–4. Against Kvitová, Sharapova leads their head-to-head 4–2, winning their last three encounters most recently in the semifinals of theFrench Open 6–3, 6–3. Against Errani, Sharapova leads 1–0 winning their only matchup in the finals of theFrench Open 6–3, 6–2. Radwańska, on the other hand has a mixed record against Kvitová and Errani. She trails Kvitová 0–3, with their last encounter coming at last year's Championships 7–6(4), 6–3 in a round robin matchup. However, against Errani, Radwańska leads their head-to-head 5–1 winning their last four encounters, most recently in the second round of the2012 Mutua Madrid Open 6–0, 6–1. In the match-up between Kvitová and Errani, the Czech owns a 3–0 record against Errani with all three meeting coming in straight sets all in 2012 most recently at theNew Haven Open at Yale with a 6–1, 6–3 scoreline.[103]
The four doubles teams started the semifinals without group play.
Below are the head-to-head records as they approached the tournament.[103]
| Azarenka | Sharapova | Williams | Radwańska | Kerber | Kvitová | Errani | Li | Overall | YTD | ||
| 1 | Victoria Azarenka | 7–4 | 1–10 | 11–3 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 4–1 | 4–4 | 31–26 | 63–8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Maria Sharapova | 4–7 | 2–9 | 7–2 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 8–4 | 29–25 | 56–10 | |
| 3 | Serena Williams | 10–1 | 9–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 35–5 | 53–4 | |
| 4 | Agnieszka Radwańska | 3–11 | 2–7 | 0–3 | 4–2 | 0–3 | 5–1 | 3–5 | 17–32 | 57–17 | |
| 5 | Angelique Kerber | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 8–18 | 60–19 | |
| 6 | Petra Kvitová | 4–2 | 2–4 | 0–3 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 15–13 | 45–15 | |
| 7 | Sara Errani | 1–4 | 0–1 | 0–4 | 1–5 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 0–5 | 4–23 | 54–20 | |
| 8 | Li Na | 4–4 | 4–8 | 1–5 | 5–3 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 5–0 | 26–23 | 41–15 |
The action in this year's Tour Championships began with the White Group with Wimbledon finalistAgnieszka Radwańska and 2011 Wimbledon championPetra Kvitová. The Czech entered the match with a 25-match winning streak on indoor courts with her last defeat coming in Moscow in 2010. Radwańska never having beaten Kvitová before raced out to an early 3–0 lead only to see Kvitová even things out at 3–3. Radwańska however regrouped to win the next three games to take the first set 6–3. Kvitová dropped her first two service games of the second, was able to break back once, but she was unable to threaten the steadier Radwańska who closed out the match with a 6–3, 6–2 scoreline.[104]
They were followed by Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic championSerena Williams and Wimbledon semifinalist and first time qualifierAngelique Kerber. Similar to the first match Williams raced out to an early 3–0 lead only to see Kerber even things out at 3–3. However four games later Williams was able to break Kerber to win the first set 6–4. The first three games went on serve until Williams was able to break for a 3–1 lead. She held then broke Kerber again, serving out the match 6–4, 6–1.[105]
The final match for the day featured French Open championMaria Sharapova and French Open finalistSara Errani. It was a rematch of the 2012 French Open finals. They went on serve until Errani failed to convert either break point at 15–40 on the Sharapova serve. The Russian then broke serve at the eight game and closed it out 6–3. Sharapova then carried on into the second set winning it 6–2.[104]
| Matches | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Winner | Loser | Score |
| White Group | Agnieszka Radwańska [4] | Petra Kvitová [6] | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Red Group | Serena Williams [3] | Angelique Kerber [5] | 6–4, 6–1 |
| White Group | Maria Sharapova [2] | Sara Errani [7] | 6–3, 6–2 |
The second day began with the Red Group with Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic championSerena Williams and 2011 French Open championLi Na. The match began with Williams breaking Li's serve to take an early 1–0 lead. However Li was quick to strike back reeling off four games to take a 4–1 lead only to see Williams comeback to take four straight games herself to take a 5–4 lead to serve for the set. Li was able to break at love for 5–5 but was broken right back. Williams again served for the set but was broken again at love to send the set into a tie-breaker. Williams won it comfortably 7–2 to take a one set lead. The second began in similar fashion with Li breaking for a 1–0 lead only to see Williams again reel off four games to take a 4–1 lead. The rest of the set went on serve until Williams closed out the match 7–6(7–2), 6–3.[106]
They were followed by World No. 1 and Australian Open championVictoria Azarenka andAngelique Kerber. Kerber raced out to an early 3–1 lead. Azarenka however was able to level the match at 4–4. The set went on serve and into a near-historic tie-break, where Kerber saved five set points – four with huge forehands – to claim it, 13–11. It was the equal-longest tie-break in the history of the tournament and the first time Kerber had taken a set off Azarenka in their two prior meetings. The second set began with Azarenka building a 4–2 lead only to see Kerber take three straight games to lead 5–4. Serving to stay in the match Azarenka saved 2 match points with some ferocious ball striking to even the set at 5–5. The set again went to a tie-break which Azarenka won 7–2. Both players went toe to toe in the final set until Azarenka was able to break for 5–3 to serve for the match. Kerber was able to break right back but was unable to hold serve while serving to stay in the match, with Azarenka closing out the 3 hour, 6 minute contest 6–7(9–11), 7–6(7–2), 6–4.[107]
The final match for the day featuredMaria Sharapova andAgnieszka Radwańska. It was a rematch of theSony Ericsson Open finals. The match began with eleven straight holds of serve until Radwańska was able to break Sharapova to take a one set lead 7–5. Sharapova broke Radwańska in the beginning of the first set but Radwańska broke back immediately, Radwańska then led 4–2 with a break, Sharapova then took 3 games in a row but got broken when serving for the set at 5–4. Sharapova then took the next two games to take it to a final set. At the third set both held serve until the fifth and sixth games where both traded breaks of serve. Sharapove then broke at the eleventh game of the set and served it out to win 5–7, 7–5, 7–5.[108]
| Matches | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Winner | Loser | Score |
| Red Group | Serena Williams [3] | Li Na [8] | 7–6(7–2), 6–3 |
| Red Group | Victoria Azarenka [1] | Angelique Kerber [5] | 6–7(11–13), 7–6(7–2), 6–4 |
| White Group | Maria Sharapova [2] | Agnieszka Radwańska [4] | 5–7, 7–5, 7–5 |
The day began with the Red Group withLi Na andAngelique Kerber. Prior to the match Li lead their head-to-head 5–1, and both are looking for their first win in the event. Kerber after an amazing display against Azarenka in a 3-hour loss started well and led 4–2, however Li came back and won the first set 6–4 after a doubles fault from the German. Li then closed it out in the second set winning it 6–3.[109]
They were followed byVictoria Azarenka andSerena Williams in a rematch of the 2012 US Open finals. The match began with seven straight holds of serve until Williams was able to break for a 5–3 lead awith a chance to serve out the set. Azarenka was able to break straight back for 4–5 but was unable to hold serve, double-faulting to give away the set one 6–4. Azarenka began the second by reeling of three straight games for a 3–0 lead breaking Williams twice along the way. However she was unable to hold on as Williams won four straight games herself to take a 4–3 lead. Azarenka was able to hold for 4–4. Williams held for 5–4 with Azarenka now having to serve to stay in the match. She, however was not able to hold serve, double-faulting on match point. Williams have now improved her record against Azarenka to 11–1 and advancing into semifinals as the Red Group's top player with a 3–0 match win record and without the loss of a set. Azarenka will now have to defeatLi Na to advance to the semifinals and secure the year end No.1 orMaria Sharapova will have a chance to end the year at No.1 by winning the title.[110]
The final match for the day featuredSara Errani and 2011 US Open championSamantha Stosur who entered the event as an alternate due to the withdrawal of defending championPetra Kvitová. Errani won the match 6–3, 2–6, 6–0 with a doubles fault from Stosur. Stosur ended with 26 more winners but also 24 more unforced errors in an erratic display.[111]
| Matches | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Winner | Loser | Score |
| Red Group | Li Na [8] | Angelique Kerber [5] | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Red Group | Serena Williams [3] | Victoria Azarenka [1] | 6–4, 6–4 |
| White Group | Sara Errani [7] |  Samantha Stosur [9] | 6–3, 2–6, 6–0 |
| Matches | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Winner | Loser | Score |
| White Group | Maria Sharapova [2] | Samantha Stosur [9] | 6–0, 6–3 |
| White Group | Agnieszka Radwańska [4] | Sara Errani [7] | 6–7(6–8), 7–5, 6–4 |
| Red Group | Victoria Azarenka [1] | Li Na [8] | 7–6(7–4), 6–3 |
| Matches | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Winner | Loser | Score |
| Doubles – Semifinals | Andrea Hlaváčková [2]Lucie Hradecká [2] | Liezel Huber [3]Lisa Raymond [3] | 7–6(8–6), 6–1 |
| Singles – Semifinals | Serena Williams [3] | Agnieszka Radwańska [4] | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Singles – Semifinals | Maria Sharapova [2] | Victoria Azarenka [1] | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Doubles – Semifinals | Maria Kirilenko [4]Nadia Petrova [4] | Sara Errani [1]Roberta Vinci [1] | 1–6, 6–3, [10–4] |
| Matches | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Winner | Loser | Score |
| Doubles – Finals | Maria Kirilenko [4]Nadia Petrova [4] | Andrea Hlaváčková [2]Lucie Hradecká [2] | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Singles – Finals | Serena Williams [3] | Maria Sharapova [2] | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Rank | Athlete | Grand Slam tournament | Premier Mandatory | Best Premier 5 | Best other | Total points | Tourn | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | FRO | WIM | USO | IW | MIA | MAD | BEI | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| 1 | Victoria Azarenka | W 2,000 | R16 280 | SF 900 | F 1,400 | W 1,000 | QF 250 | F 700 | W 1,000 | W 900 | QF 225 | W 470 | B 340 | F 320 | W 280 | R16 125 | A 0 | 10,190 | 17(16) |
| 2 | Maria Sharapova | F 1,400 | W 2,000 | R16 280 | SF 900 | F 700 | F 700 | QF 250 | F 700 | W 900 | QF 225 | W 470 | S 470 | QF 120 | A 0 | A 0 | A 0 | 9,115 | 16(13) |
| 3 | Serena Williams | R16 280 | R128 5 | W 2,000 | W 2,000 | A 0 | QF 250 | W 1,000 | A 0 | SF 395 | QF 225 | G 685 | W 470 | W 470 | QF 120 | 7,900 | 14(12) | ||
| 4 | Agnieszka Radwańska | QF 500 | R32 160 | F 1,400 | R16 280 | QF 250 | W 1,000 | SF 450 | QF 250 | F 620 | SF 395 | W 470 | W 470 | QF 225 | QF 225 | SF 200 | SF 200 | 7,095 | 21 |
| 5 | Angelique Kerber | R32 160 | QF 500 | SF 900 | R16 280 | SF 450 | R64 5 | R16 140 | QF 250 | F 620 | SF 395 | W 470 | SF 395 | F 320 | W 280 | QF 175 | SF 130 | 5,470 | 20 |
| 6 | Petra Kvitová | SF 900 | SF 900 | QF 500 | R16 280 | R32 80 | R64 5 | R32 80 | R32 80 | W 900 | SF 395 | W 470 | QF 225 | SF 200 | SF 200 | A 0 | A 0 | 5,215 | 19(17) |
| 7 | Sara Errani | QF 500 | F 1,400 | R32 160 | SF 900 | R128 5 | R64 5 | R32 80 | R64 5 | QF 225 | R16 125 | W 280 | W 280 | W 280 | W 280 | SF 200 | SF 130 | 4,855 | 22 |
| 8 | Li Na | R16 280 | R16 280 | R64 100 | R32 160 | QF 250 | QF 250 | QF 250 | SF 450 | W 900 | F 620 | F 620 | F 320 | R16 125 | QF 120 | R32 1 | A 0 | 4,726 | 17(16) |
| 9 | Samantha Stosur | R128 5 | SF 900 | R64 100 | QF 500 | R32 80 | R16 140 | QF 250 | R32 5 | F 620 | SF 395 | F 320 | QF 225 | SF 200 | SF 130 | R16 125 | R16 125 | 4,120 | 21 |
| 10 |  Marion Bartoli | R32 160 | R64 100 | R64 100 | QF 500 | QF 250 | SF 450 | R64 5 | SF 450 | SF 395 | R16 125 | F 320 | F 320 | SF 200 | R16 125 | QF 120 | QF 120 | 3,740 | 24 |
