Azarenka suffers first defeat at 2013 TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships

World No.2 Victoria Azarenka has lost the second-tour match of the 2013 TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships in Istanbul.

On 23 October Victoria Azarenka suffered an unexpected defeat 4:6, 3:6 against Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic (8). The Belarusian had some problems in her play throughout the whole match and was eventually defeated in 1 hour and 50 minutes with a loss. This was the first encounter for Jelena Jankovic while Victoria Azarenka had already faced Italy’s Sara Errani (7) and won 7:6 (7:4), 6:2. on 23 October Sara Errani was ousted by China’s Na Li (5) 3:6, 6:7 (5:7).

In the final match of the night Serena Williams of the U.S. (1) won against Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska (4) 6:2, 6:4 and who secured a semifinal spot. Earlier Serena Williams had easily beaten Germany’s Angelique Kerber (9) 6:3, 6:1, while Agnieszka Radwanska lost to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic (6) 4:6, 4:6.

On 23 October Na Li will take on Jelena Jankovic, Agnieszka Radwanska will face Angelique Kerber while Serena Williams will encounter Petra Kvitova.

Victoria Azarenka will meet Na Li on 25 October to play her ultimate group match.

Winners of the group stage and the runners-up from the White and Red Groups will enter the semifinal.

The TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships, which prize pot is $6 million, will conclude on 27 October. The player who wins all five matches of the competition (three group-stage matches, a semifinal and a final) gets $2.145 million.

The women’s doubles events will feature four duos: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci (Italy), Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia)/ Nedezhda Petrova (Russia), Peng Shuai/Hsieh Su-Wei (China) and Yelena Vesnina/Yekaterina Makarova (Russia).