Serena Williams fought through the pain barrier to reach the final of the WTA Championships in Istanbul.
The world number one and defending champion appeared to be physically compromised for much of her 6-4 2-6 6-4 victory over Jelena Jankovic at the Sinan Erdem Dome but did just enough.
In the final on Sunday she will bid for her fourth title at the year-end championships and 11th trophy of an extraordinary season against China’s Li Na.
Jankovic was unsure whether she would be able to play her best because of a cold but the Serbian made a great start, winning three of the first four games.
Williams has looked in supreme shape this week but her fearsome serve lacked its usual bite and she was not moving well at all.
She retrieved the break to get back to 2-3 but at the change of ends appeared to be sobbing into her towel.
Not that it initially did her any harm, the American winning 10 straight points as she went for broke and going on to take the first set.
Jankovic quickly took charge in the second, though, and this time there was no Williams comeback.
Remarkably, it was the first set the 32-year-old had lost at the tournament to anyone other than her sister Venus since 2007.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/50700.html
The world number one and defending champion appeared to be physically compromised for much of her 6-4 2-6 6-4 victory over Jelena Jankovic at the Sinan Erdem Dome but did just enough.
In the final on Sunday she will bid for her fourth title at the year-end championships and 11th trophy of an extraordinary season against China’s Li Na.
Jankovic was unsure whether she would be able to play her best because of a cold but the Serbian made a great start, winning three of the first four games.
Williams has looked in supreme shape this week but her fearsome serve lacked its usual bite and she was not moving well at all.
She retrieved the break to get back to 2-3 but at the change of ends appeared to be sobbing into her towel.
Not that it initially did her any harm, the American winning 10 straight points as she went for broke and going on to take the first set.
Jankovic quickly took charge in the second, though, and this time there was no Williams comeback.
Remarkably, it was the first set the 32-year-old had lost at the tournament to anyone other than her sister Venus since 2007.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/50700.html
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