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The worst defeat for Serena in 16 years

Absolutely nothing in Williams' game worked as she met Halep in Singapore. Bouchard needs to try and win as convincingly as possible and says this is good experience for her. At least the impression she left against Ivanovic was better than in her opening match

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We're expecting Serena to always, or at least most of the time, beat her opponents easily and convincingly. It's no surprise we had to look far back in the past to find her last defeat that was this convincing (she won a total of two games, the first one 37 minutes into the match). That happened only two more times in her carrier, the first time in her first pro-match in Quebec City in 1995, and then in Oklahoma City quarter final in 1998.

- My forehand was off today. It's obviously gone on early vacation - Serena said after the match, having recorded most of the 36 errors on forehand:

- My games was off too. I don't even know how to describe it. It's embarrassing. I served at juniors division level.

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She won a total of only 9 points in the first set, and 40% of service points throughout the match. With only two aces (12 against Ivanovic), 7 double faults and 36 unforced errors, she also failed to convert any of the 6 break points in the second set. There's no escaping defeat like that, especially when the opponent plays what she later claimed to be the best match of her life. No even if you're Serena Williams.

- I'm looking forward to us meeting again - Serena said.

They might meet in Singapore final, but the road ahead is long, and Serena has quite a few things to reconsider on the way, especially her horrible forehand shots, her service, but her overall moving as well. We talked about her knee ahead of the Ivanovic match, but there were no visible problems regarding it in the match, while her movements against Halep seemed slow and inefficient. She tried her best to make a comeback early in the second set, but it just didn't work out. She said that defeat had nothing to do with her knee, but said:

- I'm definitely not at my best. I'm playing but I'm nowhere near 100%. 

All four players in this group still have the chance to secure a spot in the semifinals as the third and final round is about to start. Bouchard need to beat Serena as convincingly as possible to stay in the run for the semifinal, but she also needs Halep to beat Ivanovic on Friday in the final match of this group. Serena is in a better situation, and she will definitely try her absolute best today.

Bouchard played two matches in her first WTA Finals and lost both in straight sets. Halep beat her convincingly, with the Canadian recording 30 unforced errors throughout the match. She won a total of only 5 games and then went on to meet Ivanovic and win a total of 4 games. She failed in the key moments, allowing Ivanovic to win all the crucial points.

- You're never at 100% and it's a pity that happened here, at such a major tournament. It's all about inconsistency, practice and playing matches. But I think I can do better than this - Bouchard said.

- I'm happy to be here. This is like my fifth Grand Slam. I wish I did better so far, but this is a great experience. It's a learning process.

When asked about Serena, she said:

- Serena is a great player, but no one can do brilliantly each and every match. I didn't watch any of her matches, I was practicing, but I did see the score. One match won't make a difference to my approach though.