The WTA Tour Championship isn’t as glamorous or widely
followed as the Grand Slams, but out of the WTA tours of the year this tournament
ranks just below the grand slams, both in terms of level of competition &
the quality of players participating. The last week at Istanbul has offered a slice of what
the best in women’s tennis can offer. Unlike the previous year, which had 8
different finalists for the 4 grand slams & the WTA championship, 2012 has
had only 5 different names for this bracket of tournaments, and two out of
those 5 will vie for the final hurrah of this season later today.
A 4th round Australian Open exit and a round-1
shock defeat at the French Open had critics/onlookers suggest Serena Williams
about retirement, and not being competitive enough on the circuit. Since the
Paris tour things have turned upside down, literally - Wimbledon glory,
Olympics gold, US Open win and in the process becoming the only player in the
history (male or female) to complete a Career Golden Grand Slam in both the
singles and doubles! With 15 grand slam titles she is an undoubted legend of
women’s tennis and this year has been extra special for her.