Sharapova wins to avoid Serena in Istanbul WTA semis

Maria Sharapova advanced her hopes of a triumphant end to a self-defining year by delivering a table-topping third win at the WTA Championships yesterday.

Sharapova's victory over Samantha Stosur guaranteed that she gets the less difficult of the two semi-finals on Saturday. That's because the Russian's 6-0,u00a06-3 win over the Australian enabled her to avoid Serena Williams, the unofficial favourite for the season-ending title.

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