WTA Championships Day 4: Who will join Serena Williams in the semi-finals?

Finally we arrive at the Judgment Day which will reveal to us the names of the three selected ladies who will join Serena Williams in the semi-finals of the WTA Championships. The Red group presents a much simpler scenario as the outright winner of the match between the 2011 winner Petra Kvitova and her fellow lefty Angelique Kerber will advance.

But the White Group is where the calculations might get complicated as only two of the three battling women will clinch the two spots. Can Victoria Azarenka rebound from her defeat? Can Li Na continue to be impressive? Can Jelena Jankovic keep on her remarkable resurgence? We make an assessment of their upcoming matches.

(4)Li Na v (2)Victoria Azarenka (Head-to-head: Azarenka leads 6-4)

Victoria Azarenka

It’s perhaps the most important match from the White Group that will be a deciding factor in determining the semi-finalists. The number of sets too will make it count. Li Na has lost her last five encounters in a row to Victoria Azarenka but what’s interesting is three of them went the distance.

Li Na, despite her bouts of nervousness in the middle of a match, has been doing a lot of things right which also helped her secure her first two consecutive wins at this elite event. Not a natural volleyer, she even showed an inclination for approaching the net winning 19 of 23 of her net points against Jankovic.

Victoria Aazarenka, on the other hand hasn’t put up an encouraging picture of herself. She has now lost four of her last five matches and has even confessed to being mentally burned out. The signs are evident – her serve has been fragile, her movement has been wobbly and the errors just keep on coming. Can she bounce back against a Li who can get lethal if she gets her forehands clicking? It’s imperative that the World No. 2 finishes her victory in straight sets to have any chance of progressing but going by Li’s confidence it just might be an uphill task.

Prediction: Li wins in three sets.