Serena, Azarenka, Sharapova Endure Long Day at Istanbul

A very long day at the WTA Championships saw Serena Williams battle herself, Victoria Azarenka come back from two match points down and Maria Sharapova grind out a three set victory.

By Erik Gudris

Victoria Azarenka wins her Day 2 match in Istanbul

(October 24, 2012) -- Despite the second day of the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships at Istanbul starting off with the unfortunate news that defending champion Petra Kvitova was forced to withdraw due to illness, those who purchased their ticket soon got their Turkish liras worth as the scheduled matches stretched well into the early morning.

Williams Overcomes Li Na in Scratchy Match

Serena Williams ended up relying on her trademark will to win more so than her lauded serve as she engaged in a battle of errors with her opponent Li Na in the day's opening match. Li jumped out to an early 4-1 lead to start while Williams struggled to find any sort of form, especially with her serve that at one juncture saw her hit three double faults in one game.

Williams managed to pull even with Li and then served for the first set twice, but ended up being broken to love each time. Only in the ensuing tiebreak did Williams finally string together enough winning points to overwhelm Li seven points to two.

(Related: Istanbul, Day 1 -- Serena's Strong Start)

Both women tried to outdo each other in the unforced error department with Williams hitting 31 to Li's 36 for the match. Williams did manage to maintain her momentum in the second set while Li never improved and that was enough for Williams to eventually scratch out a 7-6(2), 6-3 win.

"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," said Williams afterwards.

"When you play Serena, you have to focus every second," said Li about the match. "If you lose concentration for one second, she'll kill you straight away. You have to be really focused."

Williams, with her two match wins in straight sets at the event so far, has now automatically qualified for the semifinals.

Azarenka Fights Off Match Points Against Kerber

While the first match may have been a letdown for some, the second one between World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and Germany's Angelique Kerber proved to be one of the best played all year.

Kerber, now ranked at a career best No. 5 in the world, proved she had shrugged off the disappointment of losing her first match yesterday by jumping out to a 3-1 lead against Azarenka. But her lead was short-lived as Azarenka caught up with her and soon forced a tiebreak that ended up going the distance and then some with each woman holding several set points apiece. Kerber, with some huge forehands, saved five set points and then finally claimed the breaker 13 points to 11, equaling the longest tie-break in the event's history.

Azarenka struck back in the second set as she broke Kerber's serve to eventually go up 4-2. But Kerber gained the upper hand by winning three straight games for 5-4 and served for the match. Up 40-15, Kerber appeared on the verge of snapping Azarenka's current 13-match winning streak.

But Azarenka responded with two blistering winners to save both match points against her and then went on to break Kerber for 5-all. Each women traded breaks of serve again that sent the set into another tiebreaker, but this time Azarenka played with near flawless form to seize it and take the match into a final set.

Once again Azarenka earned an early break of serve only to have Kerber break her right back. Azarenka managed another break that allowed her to serve for it at 5-3, but Kerber refused to give in and broke right back for 5-4. But it was Kerber's second serves that proved her undoing as Azarenka stepped up on her returns to earn two match points. Azarenka didn't let up as she hit a final forehand winner to seal a 6-7(11), 7-6(2), 6-4 comeback victory.

The stats tell most of the story as both women didn't hold back in the match. Kerber hit 49 winners and 43 unforced errors while Azarenka struck 45 winners and 40 unforced errors.

"On the match points I just thought I had to go for it - she wasn't going to miss, and I didn't want to wait for her to make a mistake," Azarenka said later about the instant classic. "I was so determined to make it happen. I wanted to take destiny into my hands - if I missed those shots, it was going to be up to me, not up to my opponent."

Sharapova Grinds Past Radwanska in Three-Hour Battle

The last match of the evening stretched well into the early morning as Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska engaged in a grinding contest of wills and weapons that took over three hours in a rematch of their last meeting earlier this season in the Miami finals.

Sharapova found herself frustrated early on by Radwanska's ability to track down nearly every shot on the slow indoor court. Both women appeared on the verge of settling the first set in a tiebreak, but a netted forehand from Sharapova followed by a mistimed backhand that went long gave Radwanska the set 7-5.

Not at all pleased with losing such a close set, Sharapova snapped at her coach Thomas Högstedt on the changeover as he consulted her before the second set. But even though her confidence may not have been sky-high, Sharapova managed to earn a break at 4-all that gave her a chance to serve out the set. But a disastrous next game saw Sharapova hit error after error to hand the break right back for 5-all. Sharapova soon recovered though with a flurry of winners to take the set 7-5 and extend the match.

With the match now entering the early morning hours of Istanbul as a small crowd remained on hand, the war of attrition continued with neither woman willing to let go. After hitting a forehand winner to take the lead for the very first time at 3-2, Sharapova let out a scream of near exultation. Her joy was short-lived though as Radwanska stayed right with her through a variety of perfect angled winners of her own.

At 5-all, it was Radwanska who finally blinked first as she hit a pair of groundstrokes long to give Sharapova a 6-5 lead. Now serving for the match, Sharapova refused to let her moment slip away as she closed out the match with her final seventh ace to win 5-7, 7-5, 7-5. Sharapova greeted Radwanska up at net and said, "Great match" as they shook hands.

"When I'm not playing my best and still find a way to win it just gives me even more motivation for next time," said Sharapova who admitted to being frustrated all night by Radwanska's crafty play.

Sharapova, based on her two round robin wins in the White Group, will now advance into the semifinals.

(File Photo: Victoria Azarenka plays in the quarterfinals of the 2012 U.S. Open; Credit: Andy Kentla)