6 Reasons to be Jazzed about the WTA Championships

From Serena's Return, to the most diverse (singles) field, to a jam-packed doubles draw, our list of why you should be excited to tune into (live coverage!) of the WTA Championships in Istanbul.

By Chris Oddo

Petra Kvitova will defend her WTA Championships title from 2011

(October 17, 2012) -- Less than six days away, the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships promise to provide tennis fans with one final dose of women’s tennis glory before the season ends and our Twitter timelines become flooded with Tweets about charity events and the goings on at the beach.

Here’s six reasons why you do not want to miss next week’s action from Istanbul, even if it means staying up all night to catch it live on the Tennis Channel.

1. Serena Williams’ Return to Action

Remember Serena? Yeah, she’s the one who put on a two-month serving clinic this summer that started at Wimbledon and didn’t end until after the US Open. The 15-time Grand Slam champion has been out of action since then (she was scheduled to play Beijing but pulled out with the flu) but she’ll be – as usual – the main attraction in Istanbul. The two-time champion (2001 and 2009) comes in as the heavy-duty favorite, with a career record of 35-5 against the rest of the field, and a 10-1 mark against the field in 2012.

That's all well and good, but there's even more to the story: Serena, as ridiculously good as her summer was, is still not number one in the world. Her 53-4 mark has inched her closer to the top spot in the rankings, and while she can’t surpass Victoria Azarenka next week, she can make a strong statement about her intentions to do so next year with her performance next week.

Many would like to see Miss Williams make the No. 1 ranking a priority for 2013, as it would force her to play more tennis, win more matches, and therefore thrill more tennis fans. But Williams does things according to her own whims.

In any case, it will be great to see the greatest player of her generation -- and one of the greatest in women's tennis history -- back in action next week.

2. Azarenka is on Fire

As one-sided as the Serena Williams-Victoria Azarenka matchup has been (Serena leads the H2H 10-1) there is the potential for the Williams-Azarenka rivalry to heat up considerably over the next year or so, and it could start to do so next week.

Azarenka is playing flawless tennis of late (13 straight matches and 26 straight sets), and she’s made it clear by her actions that she’s hellbent on keeping her No. 1 ranking and adding more Slams to her resume. Naturally if she is to do that, she’ll have to find a way to reverse her fortunes against Serena. She was on the cusp of doing just that in the US Open final, but lost her nerve down the stretch.

Finishing her season by winning the prestigious title in Istanbul would be the strongest possible statement the Belarusian could make regarding her chances to become a truly dominant No. 1 in 2013. If she can do it by finally beating Serena in a match where Williams isn’t taped up like a mummy, as she was when Azarenka won for the only time against Serena in Miami in 2009, all the better.

3. Don’t Count Sharapova Out

We all know Maria Sharapova is one of the biggest fighters and most powerful baseline bashers on the women’s tour. But what we don’t know is when she is going to play like she belongs in the "best in show" conversation against either Serena Williams or Victoria Azarenka.

Sharapova is 56-10 on the season with a Grand Slam to her name, but she is a combined 1-6 versus Williams and Azarenka. She’s clearly run into a wall against both players, but if there was ever a player who had the courage, strength and resolve to stay the course and overcome her deficiencies, it is Sharapova.

Istanbul provides Maria with a great chance to finish the season on a high note and prove that she’s not going to let her two toughest rivals push her around.

4. Petra Kvitova Has a Lot to Prove

Petra Kvitova may have been prematurely anointed the next big power player in women’s tennis after her bedazzling 2011, which saw her win Wimbledon, then claim the WTA Championships by going undefeated in Istanbul.

This year Kvitova, while consistent and often times breathtaking, has dropped a notch. At 45-15 on the season, she’s a far cry from her 2011 clip of 60-13, and while she’s been good at the Slams, she hasn’t been great like she was when winning Wimbledon in 2011.

That said, the 22-year-old is a remarkably explosive player that can blow pretty much anybody off the court when she is playing her best. The question for Kvitova is, how to play her best when it matters the most? It’s not such a simple equation. Regardless, a good showing in Istanbul would serve to remind us – and hopefully Kvitova too – that she does have the game to be the world’s best player.

5. Doubles on the Big Stage

Even without the Williams Sisters gunning for glory in the doubles draw, small, talent-laden events like this (only the four best teams have qualified) are great for bringing the wondrous art of doubles tennis to the people. Fans get to see all the matches on TV, and the competition is sure to be fierce, considering that the winning team gets to share a prize haul of $375K.

6. Diversity and Format

With all eight singles qualifiers hailing from different nations, fans should have no problem finding someone to root for. Not only is that cool, it's unprecedented. For the first time in the 42-year history of the WTA Championships every player in the singles field represents a different country.

Furthermore, if fans are pulling for a certain player, they won't have to worry about them getting eliminated in the first round like most events. All players in the singles field play three matches within their group, with the top two of each group advancing to the semifinals.

It gives players a shot at redemption, and gives fans a chance to see all of their favorites at least three times.

(Photo Credit: AP)