Williams bounces back to crush Bouchard

SerenaWilliams

World number one Williams described Wednesday's 6-0 6-2 loss to Halep as "embarrassing", but responded in typically emphatic fashion with a 6-1 6-1 triumph in Singapore.

After winning the opening game to make sure of Halep's place in the last four, Bouchard proved no match for the 18-time grand slam champion, who won 12 of the next 13 games to keep her hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals and a potential third straight Finals crown alive. 

Williams' last-four spot will be confirmed if Halep wins a set against Ana Ivanovic on Friday.

However, a straight-sets victory for Ivanovic will see the second qualification spot decided by who has the greater percentage of games won between the Serb and Williams.

Bouchard came into the match having denied that she had been overawed by the experience of her first Finals appearance after two straight losses, and the Canadian provided immediate evidence to support that assertion, fighting back from 40-0 down to hold serve in the first game.

But she could not repeat that feat in her next service game as a double fault handed Williams the first break of the match, which she consolidated and then replicated when Bouchard sprayed a cross-court forehand wide.

Double-faults - of which she served seven - continued to blight Bouchard's play, and a ruthless Williams took advantage once again, forcing the 20-year-old into another forehand mistake to claim the first set.

The error-strewn performance from Bouchard continued in the second set as Williams enjoyed total control of a contest that lasted just 57 minutes, wrapping up the triumph with an overhead smash.

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