Thursday 23 October 2014 14:35, UK
Caroline Wozniacki moved a step closer to a place in the semi-finals at the WTA Finals after beating Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 6-3, while Maria Sharapova's hopes of becoming the year-end world No 1 went up in smoke after defeat to Petra Kvitova.
The Dane secured her second win from as many matches in Singapore following an exhausting three-set slugfest against Maria Sharapova in the opening match of the White Group.
But the rejuvenated 26-year-old is not yet assured of a spot in the last four after Wimbledon champion Kvitova ended Sharapova's hopes of claiming the year-end No. 1 ranking with a 6-3 6-2 victory.
The Russian superstar needed a win to have any chance of overtaking top-ranked Serena Williams but she blew up in spectacular fashion as Kvitova won in 75 minutes.
Wozniacki was down an early service break in the opening set but quickly got back on terms and proved too strong for Radwanska, running the Pole ragged on the purple hardcourts.
The match began with four breaks of serve in the opening five games, and US Open finalist Wozniacki, who is in training for the New York City Marathon, broke again in the penultimate game to take a hard-fought first set.
After a break each, the second set was evenly poised until Wozniacki broke in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead before holding serve and then breaking once more to end it.
"I knew from the start that this wasn't going to be an easy match," said Wozniacki, who went all the way to the final in 2010 when she was ranked World No 1.
"I came out there a little bit nervous, but you know, I just did my best out there."
Kvitova beat Sharapova in straight-sets ending the Russian player's hopes of overhauling Williams for the top ranking.
Sharapova started brightly by winning the opening two games. But Kvitova took over from there, winning 11 of the next 12 games.
It's easy to sit here and say, 'Yeah, I'm tired'. I lost two matches. But that's not the way I feel or the way that I choose to speak.
The Czech's powerful and accurate groundstrokes took her to a 1-1 record in the round-robin stage, while Sharapova dropped to 0-2.
Kvitova's first win over Sharapova since 2011 also left the Russian's bid for a second year-end title - a decade after the first - hanging by a thread after her opening defeat to Wozniacki.
"Of course I had a long match, over three hours a day ago, but I don't feel tired," said Sharapova.
"I'm happy to be here, I'm happy to be part of this event. It's easy to sit here and say, 'Yeah, I'm tired'. I lost two matches. But that's not the way I feel or the way that I choose to speak.
"I still have a match ahead of me, and I will do my best to finish it on a good note. That's the only thing I can ask of myself."
Sharapova must now win her last group match against Radwanska and hope that Wozniacki beats Kvitova while also having set and game percentage turn in her favour in order to qualify for the last-four.
Just 24 hours after suffering her heaviest defeat in 16 years against pint-sized Romanian Simona Halep, World No 1 Serena Williams bounced back to win her her final Red Group round robin match against Eugenie Bouchard 6-1 6-1.
The 18-time grand slam champion turned things around and eliminated Bouchard from semi-finals contention with a 0-3 record in the round-robin stage, while Williams improved to 2-1.
The American will have to wait until Friday's match between Halep and Ana Ivanovic to know if she is through to the semis.
