WTA Finals: 6 players who could reach the semi-finals

The 2018 WTA Finals marks the 5th and final edition of WTA's season-ending finale in Singapore. Come 2019, the tournament will shift to Shenzhen, China and stay there until 2028.

World number 1 Simona Halep's withdrawal due to a recurring back injury has certainly taken away a bit of the glamour, but the other 7 qualifiers and Kiki Bertens (Halep's alternative) are expected to go toe-to-toe for the title. The field isn't poor by any means, consisting of recent US Open champion Naomi Osaka, Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki and Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber to name a few.

The players have been divided into two groups of four - with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals.

Red Group: Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens, Kiki Bertens.

White Group: Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova.

Let's take a look at the six players who are best shaped to make the semifinals.

RED GROUP

#1 - Naomi Osaka

BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global - Previews

The 21-year old debutante of Japanese-Haitian descent, who caused a storm in women's tennis by demolishing Serena Williams to win the US Open title, is a firm favorite to make the semifinals from the Red Group. Osaka's US Open win was followed by two strong weeks at the Pan Pacific Open and China Open with a final and a semifinal showing.

Although she has a losing H2H record against her group-mates, her recent form has been strong enough to potentially nullify that effect when they meet. She faced Bertens and Kvitova back in 2016, at the Mexican Open where she beat Bertens and then lost to Kvitova in the quarterfinals. Against Kerber, she has a 1-3 record, but their only 2018 match-up was in Wimbledon before Osaka found her mojo.

Riding on confidence and an exciting game, Osaka could very well prove to be the player to watch out for from her group.

#2 - Angelique Kerber

The German star, appearing in her 5th WTA Finals, is chasing the elusive title and is probably best placed after Osaka to make the semifinals from the Red Group. Her best performances have always come in the Grand Slams, and quite surprisingly, she is yet to win a single WTA Premier tournament in her long career.

Moreover, she hasn't quite enjoyed the best post-Wimbledon season. Her inability to win 3 consecutive matches since Wimbledon may work against her. But, she has the experience, and even winning 2 matches out of the allotted 3 could be enough for her to make it to the knockouts.

A finalist in 2016, Kerber has now made the season-ending finale in 5 of the last 6 editions (including 2018). But, she's yet to make a proper mark at this tournament, although, she's capable enough to produce her best tennis when the situation calls for it. It wouldn't be a surprise if she does qualify from her group.

#3 - Kiki Bertens

Prior to Simona Halep's shock injury troubles, nobody would have expected Kiki Bertens to play the WTA Finals in 2018. She strung a few strong weeks here and there but lacked overall consistency.

The Dutch 26-year-old has a losing H2H record against all of her group-mates - Kerber (1-2), Osaka (1-2) and Stephens (0-1). Coming in as top seed Simona Halep's last-minute replacement, Bertens could overturn the losing H2H against all of them.

Her topsy-turvy form this season has been a spot of bother, but it also adds an unpredictable element to her game. She won Cincinnati and Korean Open, but the month of October hasn't been too fruitful. Now, with the sudden spot at the WTA Finals, Bertens should play at her full potential to make it count, because with all the big hitters coming up (who barely missed the qualification), it might be her best chance.

WHITE GROUP

#1 - Caroline Wozniacki

Despite her inconsistent performances throughout the season, Caroline Wozniacki somehow always finds a way to channel some of her best tennis at the WTA Finals. Boasting a title and a runner-up plate from her 5 appearances, she will be eager to improve her record this year.

Wozniacki's H2H record against her group-mates doesn't look too good. She's 5-8 vs Kvitova, 1-3 vs Svitolina, 6-3 vs Pliskova, but she's only played Kvitova this year (lost at Qatar Open in February).

This is the first year she's playing the tournament with a Grand Slam title under her belt. And, although she was going through a temporary slump since winning the Australian Open, her China Open Premier Mandatory title comes just in time to rejuvenate her chances in Singapore. If she can repeat her China Open performance at the WTA Finals, it'll be difficult to stop her.

#2 - Petra Kvitova

The first and only player ever to win both of WTA's season-ending tournaments - the WTA Finals and WTA Elite Trophy - on her first attempt, Petra Kvitova will be aiming to replicate her past success at the WTA Finals this season. She won the tournament in 2011, and reached the final in 2015, before being sidelined due to the knife injury.

From the players competing this week, she has the fewest losses (14) alongside Elina Svitolina, but her recent form hasn't been too exceptional. Since winning in Birmingham, Kvitova is 10-8 and on a 2-match losing streak. It'll be interesting to see if she can brush aside her bad patch and exhibit the world-class aggressive brand of tennis she's known for.

Boasting a positive H2H record against all three peers from White Group (8-5 vs Wozniacki, 7-1 vs Svitolina, 2-0 vs Pliskova), Kvitova will be gunning to make her mark this year, and potentially go all the way.

#3 - Elina Svitolina

Despite flopping at Grand Slams and Premier Mandatory events, Elina Svitolina has consistently performed well at the Premier 5 events. She competed at the 2017 WTA Finals but lost in the group stage following a close defeat to Caroline Garcia.

But, the 24-year-old Ukrainian hasn't quite replicated her breathtaking performance at the Italian Open in the rest of the season. Svitolina is 14-9 since her Italian Open title, with just 1 semifinal showing in 9 tournaments. To add to her poor performances this season, Svitolina has a forgettable record against her White Group compatriots (3-1 vs Wozniacki, 1-7 vs Kvitova, 2-5 vs Pliskova).

But, in her 2nd consecutive WTA Finals appearance, she won't be leaving any stone unturned to improve her performance from 2017. And, if she gets in the zone, she could do some real damage in Singapore and come out as the surprise package despite her obvious loss in form.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram