WTA Championships 2013

Li Na: The match is over. Everyone saw is 6 Love. I have a little bit bad tasting, but I still feeling more positive thing. At least in the whole match I was use a lot of serve/volley. I was try as much as I can come to the net. Yeah. This is improvement.

S.Williams: I see her improving every time we play, and, what I think most of all, she motivates me to want to improve, as well, seeing she's definitely older and she still is able to add more to her game. I definitely want to do the same.

Carlos Rodriguez: I'm happy that she did a great job and had a lot of improvements, which is very encouraging for the next season >>>

AFP: Li Na's superb performance in getting to the final of the season-ending WTA Championships was an eyeopener for those who suggested her best was behind her. Instead, at the age of 31, Li her game is evolving cleverly enough to hope for further triumphs in 2014 >>>

Li Na edges Errani, advances

Li Na opened WTA Championships campaign with a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over Sara Errani on Wednesday. "It was important to win the first match because it is always tough. Sara was fighting a lot today."

Li Na nears her first WTA semis

Li Na outlasted Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 for her second victory in two matches while defending champion Serena Williams advanced to the semifinals by sweeping past Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-3 Thursday.

Li makes it a hat-trick of wins

Li Na made it a hat-trick of White Group victories, overpowering back-injury victim Victoria Azarenka 6-2 6-1 on Friday to power through to the semifinals of the WTA Championship.

Li Na reaches final

Li Na advanced to her first WTA Championships final by sweeping past 2011 winner Petra Kvitova 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday, making sure of rising to a career-high No 3 ranking, a jump of two places.

Peng Shuai: I was so nervous before the match that at one point I told Su-wei that I might need to go to the hospital because my heart was pumping so fast. Overall, this was a bittersweet season for me. The company of coaches and friends takes away a lot of the stress >>>

Hsieh Su-Wei: I told myself before the match that this was going to be the last one for the year. And I can take a break from playing tennis for a while. But I will soon fly to Australia for winter training.

WTA: Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai became the first Asians ever to win the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships, winning the doubles title over Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. Additionally, they are now 9-0 in WTA doubles finals as a team >>>

Li Na

(on losing her rhythm in the second half of the match): I was feeling maybe start the match too exciting. So when after one half set I was feeling no more energy left. Yeah. And also, I think it's a tough tournament, because I was play five days in a row. Every opponent top 8, so, you know, never have an easy match in this tournament.

Serena Williams

(on playing 15 tournaments I 2013 ): I played you said 15 tournaments? That's really not a lot, but, you know, looking it's really not a tremendous amount of tournaments. It's definitely I think the results which was more consistent, so if I could play the same amount of tournaments and not do any more, I'm okay with that. But 15 I think is a bare minimum, or it's pretty low. Maybe I will do 14 next year or 13. Yeah. But definitely not more. Maybe one or two less.

Victoria Azarenka

(on why she insist on staying in the match after the injury): Well, there are a few reasons why. Because there is no win situation here retiring, and, you know, being all discussed retired, and the other thing is just try to do the best. I don't have a tournament next week. The physio told me, they told me, You're really locked. There is no really structure damage, but you can't fix it that quickly.

Jelena Jankovic

(on the Li Na-Serena Williams showdown in the final): Li Na is playing very well, as well. I think Li Na is in incredible form. But Serena is playing so well, too. So I think it's going to be a great match to watch. I think both of those players deserve to be in the finals. I think the fans are going to enjoy a fun match.

Sara Errani

(on how difficult to make Championships two years in a row ): Very difficult. I know to be here is very difficult. I know it, but I'm ready to work, to fight every match, and doesn't matter how it be. I hope it will be good. But important for me always I say to fight and try my best. They are all so good opponent. We will see. I'm very happy to make these two Masters in these two years. I know it will be difficult, but I'm ready to continue. I hope to continue.

Peng Shuai

(on her bad fall during the second set): I was going for the ball when I was tripped by Hsieh (Su-wei). As a result I skinned both of my knees. When I was about to hit the floor I threw the racquet away and then went down. I didn’t even know if we won the point until Hsieh told me it was the most humiliating play for us by far.

Angelique Kerber

( on preparation for tomorrow's match against Kvitova): Yeah, tomorrow it will be the next tough match, and, you know, I will just try to play like today, go out there, try to enjoy it, having fun and try very good tennis and be focused from the first point and moving very well.

Petra Kvitova

(on her overall performance in 2013): Well, I think if somebody told me after the US Open that I will play semifinals here, I think that he's crazy, but now, I mean, I think it takes some days to look back at 2013. But I think it wasn't bad, this tournament, and all season was really up and down. There was tough moments in this season, great moments. I think that this tournament was still one of the best ones.

Agnieszka Radwanska

(on how she deals with loss in general): Well, I think it depends. I think every loss is a little bit different. You know, you feel different when you lose, I don't know, the semifinal of a Grand Slam or second round of the international tournament. I think this is different losses. You deal with this differently.

WTA chief: China Open getting better

WTA Chairman & CEO Stacey Allaster sat down with China Daily for an exclusive interview in which she weighs in on Tianjin losing the WTA Championship bid to Singapore, the expansion of the China Open in the past decade and Li Na's influence on the association >>>

Li Na: It takes a team to build a champion

I set a goal of cracking the world top three at the beginning of this year, so to finally meet it in the year-end finale is a pretty nice way to finish the 2013 season. To be honest, I think I missed quite a few opportunities to reach that goal earlier in the season, but they all seemed to somehow slip away. After the China Open I had a long talk with my coach, Carlos Rodriguez, during which he informed me of scenarios for clinching the No 4 and No 3 rankings if I made the semifinal and final, respectively, at these Championships >>>

Li Na: Hello, semifinal

Li Na: First match is never easy

Li Na insists 2013 is her best year

Coach talks about Li Na's improvements

Carlos Rodriguez summarizes his evaluation of Li Na's performance in 2013 in one word. Proud.

"I have to say I am proud of what she did today… She showed me that she can do what I ask her to do."

"What is important is, I've seen where Li Na's improved there, thanks to Serena, who pushed her (to a higher level). I am happy that Li found some very good things."

"She played a level of tennis she wasn't used to playing. I don't know if she understands how hard it is for her to do what she did today to go to the net against Serena. To have the courage to always make some volleys and win some points, it is not easy...think now physically and technically Li is a much better player than before." >>>

Coach: I'm proud of what Li Na did

Peng Shuai: A perfect ending

Angelique Kerber: Just focus on my game

Jankovic: Just believe in yourself

Jankovic tops Azarenka

Serena powers to second win

Williams eases to win over Kerber

Kvitova Overpowers Radwanska

Azarenka beats Errani in opener

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - (L-R) Sara Errani of Italy, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic, Serena illiams of USA, Victoria zarenka f Belarus, Li Na of China, Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, and Angelique Kerber of Germany pose with the Billie Jean King trophy for the official photo of the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships-Istanbul. [Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images for WTA]

The eight players were drawn into the following two groups:

RED GROUP (seed in parentheses)

(1) Serena Williams (USA) (3) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) (5) Petra Kvitova (CZE) (8) Angelique Kerber (GER)

WHITE GROUP

(2) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (4) Li Na (CHN) (6) Sara Errani (ITA) (7) Jelena Jankovic (SRB)