WTA Championships Day 6: A tired Serena aims for fourth year-ending crown

It all finally boils down to that one very important match before the WTA elite can bid adieu to a long and winding 2013 season. A lot is at stake – fame, glory, records and of course a slice of history. Li Na has already rewritten record books by storming into the top 3 of the world rankings and becoming the highest-ranked Asian player ever. Serena Williams has more to look forward to – she will have the highest single season earnings in women’s tennis history. How do they match up against each other in this first ever WTA Championships final consisting of two 30-somethings?

Let’s have a look.

(1) Serena Williams v (4) Li Na (Head-to-head: Serena leads 9-1)

It has been one of the best years of the peerless Serena Williams’s career. 2013 saw her emerging as the oldest No.1 and ending the year as the numero uno player for the third time. For the first time in her illustrious career she has played 81 matches (77-4 is her 2013 record so far) in a single season having long surpassed her previous single season-best of 62 matches.

And all that is now having a telling effect on Serena’s performance in the season finale. The World no. 1 had been complaining of fatigue right from her first match but yesterday in her semi-final against Jelena Jankovic, the effects were much more pronounced. The three-time WTA Championships winner appeared to be in real discomfort and struggled to reach the balls. Her movement around the court looked labored and she even looked teary-eyed.

Serena though regrouped astonishingly well and managed to hit with more power and precision and thwarted a mini comeback of the Serb to close out the victory. It was a far cry from her routinely flawless demonstrations in the round robin stage. Afterwards Serena did confess that her body ‘hit a wall’ and perhaps that presents a glimmer of hope for her Chinese opponent ahead of the grand finale.

But is it really advantageous for Li Na? Can she really exploit the situation and seize the opportunity? Li Na has done so many things right this week. She has exhibited soaring confidence in dismantling her rivals with consummate ease. While she did look jittery in parts during her opening match, she made a brilliant job of keeping her nerves at bay for the remainder of the tournament. She has been admirably agile around the court, working the angles beautifully and striking her lethal backhand effectively and even displayed her improvised volleying. And that fulfilled her goal of finishing the year in the top 3.

If she keeps on doing what she has been doing she would present herself with loads of chances. Much like Jankovic, she has to make sure Serena has to run to reach the returns and not be the dictator. Putting more spin into the ball and varying the pace will help to trouble the American. And she has to end the rallies at the net whenever she does find an opening.

But time and again the new World no. 3 has reiterated that she is intimidated by the 17-time Grand Slam champion. She concedes the match mentally even before she can find her strength to fight on the court, something even her coach Carlos Rodriguez has admitted to. Even though Li Na’s only win over Serena came on an indoor hardcourt in Stuttgart, their last encounter ended in a whimper for Li as she was crushed 0-6, 3-6 in the US Open semi-final this year.

And so it’s a battle of Serena’s weary body against Li’s jittery mind. Li might just surprise with her fighting skills if she can cope up with all the pressure. But Serena has far more experience of giving herself one last push to cross the finish line. And that is what will be the key factor in today’s final.

Prediction: Serena wins in three sets.