Dementieva and Azarenka look most likely to take third spots
Published:It may be a day of two dead rubbers in the WTA Championships, but the four women competing will still have their pride to play for.
Caroline Wozniacki and Sam Stosur may have already secured their passage into the semi-finals in Doha from the Maroon Group, but both Elena Dementieva and Francesca Schiavone will still be giving their utmost to avoid finishing bottom.
There is little to choose between the pair as both have beaten the other on four occasions, although Dementieva holds a slight advantage in hard court form and won the most previous showdown.
The Russian has won two of the three meetings on hard courts, while also emerging victorious in straight sets earlier this month in the semi-finals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Dementieva is 4/6 to beat Schiavone again and follow up on her victory over Stosur in her last group match, while Schiavone is 11/10 to ensure that she does not leave Doha having suffered three defeats.
The White Group’s top two have also already been decided with Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva winning both of their opening matches.
This means that Victoria Azarenka and Jelena Jankovic both have a losing sequence that needs to be brought to an end.
Jankovic is the most out of form and has been battling the additional problem of illness in the tournament.
She is 5/2 to beat Azarenka, but may benefit from having spent less time on the court in Doha.
Both of Azarenka’s games have gone to three sets and she is 2/7 to overcome any tiredness and gain a deserved victory at the WTA Championships.
The pair have only met twice before, with the victories being shared last year.
Azarenka beat Jankovic in the group stages of this tournament last year in straight sets and is 8/11 to win in this manner again. See the full Azarenka vs Jankovic match betting odds market.
