Stosur annihilates Li Na for place in semis

Sam Stosur salutes the crowd after making it through to the semifinals in Istanbul [GALLO/GETTY]

Australia’s Sam Stosur routed China’s Li Na 6-1, 6-0 on Friday to qualify for the semifinals of the WTA Championships.

Both players came into the match knowing a win would put them in the last four.

Stosur, the U.S. Open champion, was in dominant form against the French Open winner, dropping only the fifth game of the first set as she extended her career record against Li to 6-0.

Stosur joined Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in qualifying from the White Group.

Stosur said she wanted to redeem herself after losing 6-2, 6-2 to Azarenka on Wednesday.

“I mean, up and down all the year, so I wish I could do the same level for next year” Li Na

“This was a really good turnaround from the match two nights ago,” she said.

“I played really well from start to finish.”

Vera Zvonareva joins Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the semifinals from the Red Group.

World number one ranked Caroline Wozniacki was eliminated from the competition on Thursday.

Li Na reached the Australian Open final in January and became the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam title when she won the French Open in June. She has won only seven matches since then.

“Was up, down, up, down,” Li said of her season.

“Beginning of the year was like fantastic and fantastic start. And after Roland Garros I think I didn’t win many matches.

“I mean, up and down all the year, so I wish I could do the same level for next year.”