Na Li trounces Angelique Kerber in red group – TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships 2012

Na Li trounces Angelique Kerber in red group – TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships 2012

Asian number one, Na Li, got the better of the fifth seed, Angelique Kerber, in straight sets at the TEB BNP Paribas WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Championships 2012 on Thursday. She penned down a 6-4, 6-3 victory against the left-handed German in red
group at this year-end WTA event held in Istanbul, Turkey.

Seeded eight in this event, Li was trailing 2-4 at the Sinan Erdem Dome. However, she quickly re-focused and not only snatched her break back in the eighth game but got the breakthrough in the last game, eventually sealing the opener with a 6-4 success.

Ranked eighth in the WTA Premier Rankings, Li maintained consistency in her game in the following set. She got the coveted break in the second game and took a 2-0 lead. Despite losing her edge in the very next game, she broke her rival’s serve twice and
leaped to a 5-1 lead. The Chinese squandered her chance of serving out the set with a breadstick but kept her serve once more, eventually sealing the deal by winning six games to three.

The Chinese number one was quoted in a courtside interview after conquering Kerber:

"I had my first match yesterday but felt much, much better today – I was more focused and concentrated on the court. Angelique is very good in defense. My coach, Carlos, was telling me before the match to use more topspin and open the court – I knew I had
to change the space to win today."

Next up for Li is the world number one, Victoria Azarenka, in her final round robin match. She reflected about her next match-up:

"It will be a tough match – she’s No.1 in the world and has been doing an amazing job this year. I will try my best tomorrow and I hope I play the same like today, hitting the ball well and making just a few mistakes."

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Posted by Awais Ahmed on Oct 26 2012. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry