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Paul Ryding

Welcome to a scorching Victoria Park where a heaving centre court is preparing for the second of today's semi-final clashes.
Angelique Kerber already secured her place in the final. Next up is Jelena Jankovic against Venus Williams.
Venus Williams will serve first.

6.40pm
Jelena Jankovic defeats Venus Williams 6-4, 7-5
Williams has to break serve to stay in the match, and it's progressed to 30-30. Willaims returns into the net, and it's match point for Jankovic! She's done it. The Serbian has won 6-4, 7-5. Venus returns into the net, and Jankovic will play Angelique Kerber for the Hong Kong Open Title tomorrow.
Great effort from Venus, she just came up against a better opponent on the day.

6.28pm
Venus Williams 5-6 Jelena Jankovic (Williams 4-6 Jankovic)
This ability to find somehting more when absolutely necessary has defined a lot of Venus Williams' career. It's fair to say she needs that now.
She moves to two break points at 15-40 in game ten. But then Jankovic pulls it back around to 40-40. Fabulous cross-court return from Williams gives her the advantage. Right when she needed it most. Jankovic hits back to deuce. A determined winner from the American gives her the advantage again and she's back to break point. Game Williams! It's 5-5.
This has been a true battle.
Venus back on her serve, but she's allowed Jankovic to move on to two break points here in the 11th set. She nets a return, and Jankovic leads again.
Venus is going to have to do this the hard way now. Jankovic looking imperious.

6.19pm
Venus Williams 4-5 Jelena Jankovic (Williams 4-6 Jankovic)
Jankovic breaks back in game eight to level the set again at 4-4.
This could be a make-or-break game for the American. One hour and 40 minutes in here, still both players hammering away. Thwe American moves clear at 40-15. But two loose shots let Jankovic back in and go to 40-40. Williams has advantage ... but goes long! Back to deuce. And Jankovic moves on to break point. She's fought back well here and Venus is on the ropes. How will the seven-time grand slam winner react? She loses the game! Nightmare for Venus who had done so well to get back into the match.
Jankovic is now serving for the match and a place in the final.

6.09pm
Venus Williams 4-3 Jelena Jankovic (Williams 4-6 Jankovic)
Is the Serbian starting to turn the screw on the grand old veteran now? A little of the early zip seems to have drained from the American's legs at this point, although she is still asking many questions of her younger rival.
Jankovic isn't doing a great deal to help herself at the moment and another lapse sees her edge a simple return out. Venus at break point in game six. Back to 40-40, before Jankovic takes advantage and holds to level the second set.
Back on serve, Venus moves into a commanding 30-0 lead. From there, the Serbian drags back to 40-40. Williams takes the advantage and then the game to stop a revival from Jankovic in its tracks. Williams leads 4-3.

5.45pm
Venus Williams 3-2 Jelena Jankovic (Williams 4-6 Jankovic)
Back on the Serbian's serve, and she's hanging in there to salvage this second set. At 40-40, she wins a quite marvellous rally to gain the advantage. Several times in that exchange it looked won, and the Serb wrapped it up with a wonderful passing shot. Venus bites back with a fine forehand and Jankovic is starting to get frustrated out there. Venus goes long and the Serbian has the advanatge. Back to deuce. The 30-year-old nudges back ahead ... and then holds serve. 3-1 Williams, but a foothold for Jankovic.
Jankovic continues to rage at herself as she lets a winnable break slip by and lets Williams move to 40-15. She wins one point back, and wins a gruelling rally to make it 40-40. She then moves to break point. But goes long to let Venus back off the hook at deuce. A long point eventually comes down on the side of the Serbian, who breaks back to get back in to the set. 3-2 with Jankovic to serve.

5.28pm
Venus Williams 3-0 Jelena Jankovic (Williams 4-6 Jankovic)
Back on serve, Williams misses a chance to put the pressure on at 30-0. But then moves into a 40-15 lead. And wraps up the game with a fine long forehand. 1-0 Williams.
Solid exchanges see game two go right to the wire - Venus has a break point. A thrilling rally ends it as Venus wraps up the game. She's back in this match now at 2-0.
The Serbian digs in in game three to try and get back into this second set. 3-0 down would be a big ask. A truly heavyweight exchange - both of them pounding back returns - sees Venus go long and Jankovic has break point. WOW - Jankovic loses a fourth judgement challenge by an absolute milimilimilimetre as Venus gets back in it. And then to make it worse, she moves to advantage to save the break point. The Serbian has had a lot of hard luck today already. And disaster, she loses the game. So unfortunate. Venus in control of the second set.

5.20pm
Venus Williams 4-6 Jelena Jankovic (Jankovic takes the first set)
Williams moves into a 30-0 lead thanks to a great challenge. But Jankovic fires back, before allowing Williams the opportunity to break back straight away. The game goes to deuce. Both players digging deep in that exchange, but it's Jankovic who has advantage and set point, which she wraps up when Venus returns long. First set to Jelena Jankovic.


5.09pm
Venus Williams 4-5 Jelena Jankovic
Williams takes an early lead, and extends to 0-30 - could this be the first break? Jankovic fires back to level it up. Venus noses back ahead for a break point. Jankovic has had cursed luck this set losing out on all three of her challenges by the narrowest of margins. Hawk Eye is paying for itself today. No break - Jankovic holds after a back-and-forth around deuce. 4-4.
This match could be a long one. There's been very little between the two so far.
A concentration lapse from Venus on serve opens the door and gives Jankovic two break points in the ninth ... and a second double fault hands the Serbian the first break of the match. Jankovic takes the lead 5-4.

4.59pm
Venus Williams 4-3 Jelena Jankovic
A very tight sixth game, where both players' power is beginning to shine through. This game will be close. Goes down to deuce - unsurprisingly. Fantastic return at deuce puts Williams in front. But it's only temporary - an epic rally, full of near misses, falls down on Jankovic's side. Jankovic takes the game with a feint dink, which a younger Venus would have almost certainly got to. Still neck and neck in the first set.
Williams stays on top early on in her service game, by the narrowest of margins, berfore feeding Jankovic on a bad return to hold again. 4-3. 

4.53pm
Venus Williams 3-2 Jelena Jankovic
Jankovic accelerates into a 40-0 lead in game four. The Serbian wraps up a brisk fourth game to make it 2-2. Still feeling eachother out here, the two heavyweights (of tennis).
It's all going with the grain so far as Venus moves into a 40-0 lead on her serve. Long from Jankovic and that's that. 3-2 Willimas. Little between them so far.


4.40pm
Venus Williams 2-1 Jelena Jankovic
Thankfully, it's much cooler here as the sun goes down over Victoria Park on what has turned out to be a glorious evening in front of a packed house.
Venus is quickly into her stride moving 40-0 in front on her first service game. But Jankovic fires back with two rasping passing winners. Venus wraps it up, though, to draw first blood. We're in for a brilliant match is that first game is anything to go by.
Jankovic flashes back to hold serve without reply in the second.
Willaims moves into a 30-0 lead back on serve. Jankovic back in at 30-30 courtesy of a sloppy Venus return. Williams noses back in front. A Jankovic return into the net gives Venus the early lead.


Woah - that was exhausting to watch in this heat. My furiously typing fingers are quite fatigued after that effort.
So Kerber makes the final, she's looked in great condition this week and she wouldn't give Stosur an inch to get any momentum in this match. As could be expected from the Aussie, she battled constantly to try to get back in, but the German was in imperious form, and she the favourite to take the title here now, in my humble opinion.
Don't go far. Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic are due out to warm up any minute now. A clash of two (fading?) titans coming up here as the sun mercifully begins to take its leave of centre court.

4.11pm
Angelique Kerber defeats Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-2
The end could be close here as Kerber zooms into a 30-0 lead in game eight. Stosur bites back, but more brilliance from Kerber puts her on the edge of the win. Two match points for the German. Make that one - Stosur stays in it. And now back to deuce. Stosur has saved four match points now. A touch of class from Stosur - the feintest dink over the net ending a bustling rally - and Stosur takes the advantage! Then back to deuce. Kerber returns long. Advantage Stosur here. Back to deuce. The Aussie goes back to advantage. Back to deuce - there's a pattern definitely emerging here. I'll wait till soeone wins either way - it's too hot to type. Stosur her own worst enemy again - fifth match point to Kerber ... and that's it. An apt ending as Stosur piints a return in the net.
 
Angelique Kerber is our first finalist here at Victoria Park.

4.02pm
Samanatha Stosur 2-5 Angelique Kerber (Stosur 2-6 Kerber)
The popular Stosur needs a big effort here now, but you can always count on her to keep up the fight.
The crowd rises to applaud a big point win for the Australian at 15-30 down to level. She played some great tennis there. She quicky concedes the next point, though, and returns into the net to make her hard work count for nought. Game Kerber, and it looks like the Aussie will be exiting the tournament before long here.
The talk is about Stosur here, but it is a disservice to Kerber. She's been quite brilliant here today. Smashing foreand down the line keeps Stosur in game seven 15-15. Before she comes into the net, rides her luck, and is punished by the German. Double fault brings up the match point for Kerber. That could be it for Stosur. No, deuce. Splendid return from Kerber gives her advanatge. Stosur back from the brink. Nope - defies again to go back to decue. Two match points Kerber has missed now. Stosur takes the advantage - battling very hard to stay in this match. And she wins the game. Riding her luck here, but Stosur lives to see another game

3.54pm
Samanatha Stosur 1-4 Angelique Kerber (Stosur 2-6 Kerber)
Kerber back on serve, and still getting the rub of the green at every turn here. Moves swiftly into a 40-0 lead. But you make your own luck and Kerber serves out the game confidently. Stosur needs somehting big now. Must win her service game here.
Stosur is just not getting the luck today. She runs the German ragged in the first point of the new game and smashes an easy lobbed return straight at the net to gift the point to Kerber. Another misjudged return, and the game - and the match - seems to slipping away from the Aussie here. ANOTHER long retunr from the Aussie when she looked set to put it away and she's in deep trouble now. 4-1 to Kerber.

3.43pm
Samanatha Stosur 1-2 Angelique Kerber (Stosur 2-6 Kerber)
Kerber is on fire here, everything she hits is just pipping the marks to win her agonisingly close points. She breaks Stosur's serve at the first time of asking in set two. The Australain needs a big effort to drag hersefl back into this match now.
Stosur rallies to take a 40-0 lead in the second game, and then Kerber hammers back a long forehand to stay in it. She follows that up with a sneaky swerving serve Stosur wasn't expecting. But Stosur hangs in and levels the score at 1-1
The 31-year-old Stosur is battling gamely to stay with Kerber, who has been very good so far today. Kerber keeps the advantage when Stosur knocks a retunrn long - not for the first time today.

3.38pm
Samanatha Stosur 2-6 Angelique Kerber (Kerber takes the first set)
At 40-15 down in game eight, Stosur hits a ripping return to give herself a chance to stay in at set point, before a rare double fault from Kerber takes it to deuce. But Kerber holds her nerve to take the game and the first set 6-2 in just over 30 mins.

3.29pm
Samanatha Stosur 2-5 Angelique Kerber
Is this the 'That's it' moment that Stosur spoke of yesterday when she was taking a pounding from Heathe Watson? She blasts her way into a commanding 40-15 lead. But then a couple of errant shots bring it to deuce. Kerber, with a little too much finesse for the Austrailain at the moment, takes advanatage and then the game. Another chance back in to the match slips by Stosur.
Stosur moves to 40-0 on her service in game seven, with one point a blinding ace, and wraps the game to give herself a chance in the first set.

3.20pm
Samanatha Stosur 1-4 Angelique Kerber
Kerber holds her serve in the fourth game to take a firm lead on proceedings here in the first set.
In game five, Stosur comes out blazing and quickly goes 30-0 in front. Kerber strikes back with a finespun return to make it 30-15. Kerber, looking a little sharper out of the blocks here, fires back and after taking the game to deuce, seals the game. A commanding lead for the German now. 

3.10pm
Samanatha Stosur 1-2 Angelique Kerber
Dressed all in pink, the Australian fifth seed holds serve to take an early 1-0 lead. But she ships the next two to trail 1-2 at the first changeover.



Back again: Prudential confirms partnership as Hong Kong Tennis Open sponsor

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'I can still beat the best': Jelena Jankovic crowned champion at Hong Kong Tennis Open 

Jelena Jankovic wins the Hong Kong Tennis Open with a three-set win over Angelique Kerber

Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2015

LIVE - Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open semi-finals

The action is ready to get underway at Victoria Park. Photos: SCMP Pictures

Sam Stosur made a bright start, but soon fell 2-1 behind in the first set.

Angelique Kerber books her place in the final of the Hong Kong Open with a straight sets win over Samantha Stosur.

Two titans of tennis slugging it out.

The sun goes down on a great day's play at Victoria Park.

Sport

Tennis

Angelique Kerber defeats Sam Stosur to book her place in the final on Sunday, as Jelena Jankovic meets Venus Williams on the penultimate day of action at Victoria Park


Angelique Kerber reaches the final at Victoria Park with a straight sets win against a battling Samantha Stosur. Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic are on court now
