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Stosur, Zvonareva Qualify For Year-End Championships
| By: James Waterson |
Photo Credit: Andy Kentla |
(October 10, 2011) US Open champion Samantha Stosur and Russia’s Vera Zvonareva became the sixth and seventh players to qualify for the year-end WTA Tour Championships in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday.
"Congratulations to Vera and Sam on qualifying for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships," Stacey Allaster, WTA chairperson and CEO, said to the WTA. "Vera is one of the WTA's most consistent players, earning her fifth trip to the Championships, and Sam's incredible feat of winning the US Open last month is one of the highlights of the season. I look forward to seeing incredible performances by both players and the rest of the WTA's best in Istanbul."
Stosur has posted a 39-20 record this year and won one title: the US Open. She had a rough start to the year, as she didn’t advance beyond the third round of any tournament until April, when she made the semifinals in Stuttgart.
The Australian also reached the semifinals in Eastbourne, and the finals in Rome and Toronto. This is the second year Stosur has qualified for the year-end championships. Last year, she beat Wozniacki and Francesca Schiavone in the round-robin stage before losing to Kim Clijsters in the semifinals.
"It's very exciting to qualify for Championships for the second straight year, especially because it will be the first year of this event in Istanbul," Stosur told the WTA. "I look forward to playing in another unique venue. It's the perfect way to end the great season that I've had."
Zvonareva, ranked No. 5, has had a more consistent season. She has a 54-18 record and she’s won two titles, in Doha and Baku, Azerbaijan. The Russian has also lost in two finals, both to Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, and she’s reached the semifinals of five tournaments, including the Australian Open.
This is the fifth year Zvonareva has qualified for the year-end tournament, with her best result coming in 2008 when she lost in the finals to Venus Williams.
Radwanska, Andrea Petkovic and Marion Bartoli are contending for the final spot in Istanbul.
The Pole, who has won three titles this year including last week’s China Open, has a 360 point lead over Petkovic, with Bartoli trailing the German by 125 points.
For Bartoli to qualify, she would need to win the titles in Osaka and Moscow, and she’ll need Radwanska to lose before the quarterfinals in Russia.
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