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Serena Williams edges past Li Na in her second round rubber contest – WTA Championships 2012

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Serena Williams edges past Li Na in her second round rubber contest – WTA Championships 2012
World number three, Serena Williams, dismissed the eighth ranked Chinese star, Li Na, in her second round rubber contest at Istanbul. She clinched the victory in straight sets 7-6(2), 6-3 and strengthen her position for the qualification
of semi-final of WTA Championships.
Both players began with a serve break and the 30-year-old Chinese star followed up with another breakthrough in the fourth game that gave her a lead of 3-1. She held her nerves and squeezed another serve hold to make it 4-1 in
her favour. However, the 31-year-old American didn’t surrender and fought back to equalize courtesy to a couple of successive breakthroughs.
Scores were tied at 5-5. A trade of breakpoints enforced the tie-breaker round into play. Williams with immense experience of playing in such critical situations pounced on Li and stole a double mini-break early on. She kept the
pressure on her rival and bagged the opening set.
The second set witnessed an early trade of breakthroughs coupled with another successful serve break for the third seed American superstar. She clinched a lead of 4-1 courtesy to a serve hold. Li stayed in touch with her opponent
but despite an impressive fight in every return game; couldn’t capture a return break and lost the battle in the end.
Williams stated at the end of the match, “I started out really strong in the first game but then started making errors, and Li started playing her game and playing it well - that's all. I was a little tight and my serve wasn't
working at all today, maybe towards the end - but that's not how I usually play. The good thing is I can only play better.”
Li also commented about her experience of playing Williams, “When I play Serena it's always tough, and especially to play her in your first match of the tournament. When you play Serena, you have to focus every second. If you lose
concentration for one second, she'll kill you straight away.”
It was the first match for Li Na in the year-end finale Championships 2012. She is scheduled to take on the left-handed German superstar, Angelique Kerber, on Thursday. The fifth ranked Kerber has lost both of her ties already
and features in the contest against the Chinese for a consolation victory.
Serena Williams has won both of her round rubber matches so far and locks horns with the Belarusian world number one, Victoria Azarenka, on Thursday in search of a hat-trick at Istanbul.

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