Victoria Azarenka’s chances of making a challenge for Serena Williams’ title at the WTA Championships took a significant blow when she was beaten 6-4 6-3 by Jelena Jankovic in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Azarenka was once again unusually error-prone, as she had been while struggling past Sara Errani of Italy on Tuesday, and after dropping serve to 2-4 down in the first set, appeared to struggle with lack of confidence.
The world No.2 from Belarus admits to having become over-tired near the end of the season, and once Jankovic had tenaciously clung to her break to take the first set she began to make steady progress.
It was a tremendous result for the Serbian, who has only just climbed back into the top eight after two years following injury problems, and had not beaten seventh-seed Azarenka for four years.
“What’s happened has definitely made me understand how to schedule things better,” former world No.1 Azarenka had said before the match.
“It’s another learning experience for me.”
This loss added to the learning experience, for as Azarenka’s uncertainty grew on a slowish surface she admits to not liking, she tried to push forward more and found she could not force enough attacks through.
Jankovic’s steadiness helped her make a good start, and the extra enterprise she has added to her game since suffering injury problems helped her capitalise.
The Serbian broke serve in the third game, lost the advantage, but broke again immediately, and then became impossible to shake off.
Azarenka now has one win and one loss, and probably needs to win a repeat of the Australian Open final against Li Na if she is to have a good chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.
Earlier Li Na made an encouraging start to her bid to reach the semis for the first time, when she contained a courageous second set fight-back by Sara Errani, the sixth-seeded Italian, to win 6-3 7-6 (7-5).
“I just enjoy this moment,” Li said, looking very much as though she was doing that.
“I don’t know if, how you say, if I can stay same level until end of the next year – or maybe I’m going to retire,” she said, parodying a question which has often been put to her.
On Thursday she plays Jankovic, in a match where one of them could clinch a place in the last four.