Fourth-seeded Jankovic was helped by a wayward opponent whose usually strong serve deserted her. Williams also failed to take her chances, only converting two of 16 break points in the match.
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“I ve been under a lot of pressure in my career, playing big moments, all that experience hopefully will help me”, she said as she looked ahead to Saturday s semi-final. “She is very very solid…I really have to play aggressive”, Jankovic said.
“It s never easy”.
“I will just try to focus on my own game and trying to play like I did the last few matches”, she commented. The 59th-ranked Swede rallied from 5-2 down to take the opening set against her U.S. opponent and saved a set point at 5-4 in the second.
“I’m very happy to have won”.
Suffering from a thigh injury, 35-year-old Williams said at a post-match presser: “It’s definitely disappointing”. However, the American continued to struggle with her service allowing Jankovic to break back.
“When I was serving for the match for the second time, I told myself just get my first serves in and it worked”.
Venus Williams knew she would feature in Singapore by reaching the final in Hong Kong but was second best in the battle of two former number ones, as Jankovic triumphed 6-4 7-5. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t start fantastic, what matters is how you finish”.
Stosur had staged a remarkable comeback against Heather Watson in the quarter-finals by winning 11 straight games but the Australian ran out of ideas and inspiration against Kerber.
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The ninth-ranked Kerber was in commanding form as she brushed aside Stosur in 71 minutes.
