ISTANBUL, Turkey - Those that think the race to qualify for the WTA Championships essentially wraps up after the US Open should look to Agnieszka Radwanska's 2011 fall Asian campaign as evidence against that.
Radwanska was in 13th place in the race a month before Istanbul, seemingly out of contention. But she won consecutive titles in Tokyo and Beijing and rose all the way to eighth place in the final standings - securing a spot in the draw.
That gives hope to players like Sam Stosur, Marion Bartoli and Caroline Wozniacki - currently in ninth, 10th and 11th place, respectively, in the race to qualify for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships - Istanbul 2012.
Here are the three occurrences where a player outside the Top 8 a month before the WTA Championships ended up within the Top 8 in the final race standings (since 2003 when the tournament became an eight-player draw):
| Player | Year | Race A Month Before | Activity Highlights | Final Race |
| Hantuchova | '07 | 9 | W: Linz | 8 |
| Jankovic | '09 | 9 | R-Up: Tokyo, QF: Beijing | 8 |
| Radwanska | '11 | 13 | W: Tokyo, Beijing | 8 |
Notes: Of the three players on the list, only Jankovic advanced out of the round robin stage at the WTA Championships, eventually falling in the semifinals.
