Losing at any cost

If anyone was really expecting Sloane Stephens to reach her first WTA final by the end of the season, those fans have perhaps lowered their expectations by now. Stephens had multiple opportunities to reach the semifinals in Linz yesterday, but she fought against all chances. The world number 12 competed against Stefanie Voegele, the streaky Swiss player who beat Caroline Wozniacki in Charleston earlier this year.

Stephens was up 5-2 in the first set, but needed 10 set points (two of them in a tiebreak) to finally get the job done. Voegele took the second set 6-4, and Stephens led 5-2 in the third, but never won another game. Voegele took that match 7-6, 6-4, 7-5. The Swiss upstart lost to Ana Ivanovic today, however, and Ivanovic's 6-4, 6-4 victory puts her into the final against Angelique Kerber, who beat Carla Suarez Navararo. Kerber is now the eighth--and final--player to qualify to play in the WTA Championships in Istanbul.

The draw in Linz opened when Petra Kvitova withdrew from the tournament. With all her issues, Kvitova is still at her most deadly on indoor carpet because the surface is fast and there is nothing around to trigger an asthma attack.

Meanwhile, in Osaka, former champion Sam Stosur pretty much rolled over Madison Keys in their semifinal. The good news for Keys is that this was the highest round she has ever reached in a WTA tournament. Stosur's opponent in the final will be Eugenie Bouchard, who defeated Karumi Nara (her first tour semifinal, too) in straight sets.

This will be Bouchard's first WTA final, and she'll be playing against someone who has won the tournament before. This is Stosur's third Osaka final: She won the event in 2009 and was the runner-up (lost to Marion Bartoli) in 2011. Stosur is 4-12 in tour finals. The two played each other in Charleston this year, but the match didn't last long because Stosur had to retire on account of a calf injury.

Bouchard is ranked number 35 in the world, and gives every sign of moving that number up sooner than later.

40 LOVE Story, Episode 7

Sweeping the court

Petra Kvitova, Sara Errani and Jelena Jankovic have qualified to compete in the WTA Championships. Maria Sharapova, who was scheduled to play the Championships, has withdrawn because of her shoulder injury.

Cara Black and Sania Mirza won't be competing in Istanbul, of course, but having won the two recent big Asian tournaments back to back, they are certainly a team worth watching--assuming they remain a team.

Oh, that Aga.

Oh, that Marion.

Defending champion Heather Watson is out of the Osaka tournament in the first round. She was defeated 6-4, 6-4 today by Monica Puig.

Here are some great black and white portraits of WTA players.

Serena Williams has entered the 2014 Family Circle Cup. She is the defending champion.

Number 1 wins number 10

Serena Williams won her 10th title of the season today when she defeated Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 6-2 in the Beijing final. Williams' back injury appeared to flare up during the second set, and Jankovic was treated for a hip injury. And while she didn't win the title, Jankovic's run at the China Open will make her number 8 in the world when the rankings are published tomorrow. She is now very much in the running for a spot in the WTA Championships in Istanbul.

Williams has now won a total of 56 WTA singles titles.

Serena and JJ to meet again, this time in Beijing

For a while, it looked like Li Na was headed for the final of the China Open, but Petra Kvitova knocked her out in the quarterfinals. And then along came Jelena Jankovic, and along came a back injury, and Kvitova bade farewell to Beijing. Jankovic beat the Tokyo champion 6-7, 6-1, 6-1 in today's semifinals. Kvitova has withdrawn from Linz because of the injury.

In the other semifinal, world number 1 Serena Williams defeated 2011 champion Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-2.

Williams-Jankovic matches are sometimes quite interesting, and I have a feeling that tomorrow's final will be interesting. Until Victoria Azarenka came along, Jankovic was the only player other than Venus Williams who could sometimes give Serena real trouble. Their final in Charleston this year was excellent (well, if you don't count the mental implosion by JJ).

Cara Black (yes, Cara Black!) and Sania Mirza won the doubles title today, defeating Vera Dushevina and Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2, 6-2.

40 LOVE Story, Episode 6

Sweeping the Court

Tokyo champion Petra Kvitova has reached the quarterfinals of the China Open. Kvitova's next opponent will be Li Na. In doubles, Chan Yung-Jan and Zheng Jie reached the quarterfinals when they upset 3rd seeds Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua,

Here is WTA Backspin's second annual list of MVPs, and yes--something very scary is in the top 3.

There are some good photos in the Beijing players' party gallery.

The Australian Open has increased prize money by 10 percent.

Daniela Hantuchova shows us the Porsche Design Sport collection from Addidas.

And here's little Francie rocking some striped shorts.