WTA Championships 2013

The eight competitors at the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships - Istanbul were divided up into their two round robin groups at the draw ceremony on Sunday, with play set to begin at the $6 million event on Tuesday. Here's how the elite eight stack up against each other...

RED GROUP : Williams (USA), Radwanska (POL), Kvitova (CZE) & Kerber (GER)

Quote: "Of course it's never easy, but I'm feeling good and I have nothing to lose here. I will try my best. I'm going to have fun, enjoy my tennis, and let's see what happens."

WHITE GROUP: Azarenka (BLR), Li Na (CHN), Errani (ITA), & Jankovic (SRB)

Quote: "It's a tough group. Playing the WTA Championships, you are playing against the best players in the world so there is no easy match. Playing this format, the round robin, you have to play your best tennis from the first match. There is no warm up. There is no getting your rhythm. You have to bring your best performance from the start. I look forward to playing in my group and doing my best."

Li Na learns from her past

Tough workouts lead to victory on the court, but a responsible attitude makes one a champion in life.

That's what China's Grand Slam champion ace Li Na has learned from her ups and downs during the 2013 WTA season and what she tries to pass on to the next generation, which grew up admiring the Wuhan native. >>>

Li laments stage fright

A disappointed Li Na admitted to an attack of stage fright in her humbling US Open semifinal loss to Serena Williams and said she would have lost to any opponent she faced on Friday.>>>

WTA aces a beautiful extension

The glamor and elegance of women's tennis is set to continue to grow as Oriflame, one of Europe's leading cosmetic companies, announced on Friday it has extended its partnership with the Women's Tennis Association until the end of 2014. >>>

Courting tennis culture

The China Open's meteoric rise in international stature has led to soaring national interest in the sport, Sun Xiaochen reports.

Nobody took China Open tournament director Alfred Zhang seriously when he declared a vision during the event's 2004 debut to make it the "fifth Grand Slam". >>>

Hard work key for Serena's supremacy in tennis

Rome wasn't built overnight, and neither is Serena Williams' supremacy in women's tennis, said the 17-time Grand Slam champion's coach.

Watching Williams adding another title (China Open champion) to her dazzling trophy collection, which already includes 17 Grand Slam singles crowns, on Sunday, the US star's current coach Patrick Mouratoglou said the US star's born gift has little to do with her domination in the game. >>>

'Fly Alone' Zhang Shuai, China's next Li Na?

Zhang Shuai grinned widely as she held up her first WTA tournament trophy.

Beating her final opponent Vania King 7-6 (1), 6-1 on Saturday, the wild card player surprised everyone by winning every match in two sets in the WTA Guangzhou Open. >>>

Hard work key for Serena's supremacy in tennis

Rome wasn't built overnight, and neither is Serena Williams' supremacy in women's tennis, said the 17-time Grand Slam champion's coach.

Watching Williams adding another title (China Open champion) to her dazzling trophy collection, which already includes 17 Grand Slam singles crowns, on Sunday, the US star's current coach Patrick Mouratoglou said the US star's born gift has little to do with her domination in the game. >>>

'Fly Alone' Zhang Shuai, China's next Li Na?

Zhang Shuai grinned widely as she held up her first WTA tournament trophy.

Beating her final opponent Vania King 7-6 (1), 6-1 on Saturday, the wild card player surprised everyone by winning every match in two sets in the WTA Guangzhou Open. >>>