Angelique Kerber underlined her new world number one ranking by reaching the last four of the WTA Finals in Singapore this week.
ADVERTISEMENTAngelique Kerber underlined her new world number one ranking by reaching the last four of the WTA Finals in Singapore this week.
The German who dethroned Serena WIlliams at the ranking’s summit, thrashed American Madison Keys in straight sets to make it a perfect three wins from her Red Group matches at the eight-player season-ending championships.
Although Keys produced a few of her trademark high-risk power plays to perfection she was unable to maintain any consistency as Kerber dominated the match.
After two previous failed attempts at making it out of the group stage the 28-year old Australian Open and US Open champion was not to be denied at the third time of asking and sealed the match 6-3, 6-3.
Kerber’s victory over Keys also sent group rival Dominika Cibulkova through to the last four after the Slovak battled past Simona Halep earlier in the day.
After losing her opening two Red Group games Cibulkova needed a straight sets victory to have any chance of progressing.
The world number eight raced through the first set 6-3 and although Halep proved stiffer opposition in the second, a very relieved Cibulkova won it on a tiebreak to set up a semi with White Group winner Svetlana Kuznetsova.