Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage from the WTA Championships in Istanbul, starting off with a dead rubber between Maria Sharapova - already through - and Sam Stosur, a second-match replacement for the injured Petra Kvitova, who cannot progress. Later though there's a shoot-out between Sara Errani and Agnieszka Radwanska, winner goes through. Remember, you can watch all this LIVE on British Eurosport, and online on the Player.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 6-3 - GAME SET AND MATCH! Sharapova takes that match point but it's an error from Stosur, who overhits a smash after a so-so lob from Maria. Three from three from Maria in the White Group. Stosur woeful in the first and decent in the second. Stosur, who thought she was on holiday before Kvitova got sick, can go back to the beach.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 5-3 - Lovely forehand winner from Sharapova, who bosses the next rally as she chases a break to win the match. 0-30. Stosur claws one back, and another as Sharapova nets a return looking for a spinning winner. Then Stosur undercooks a backhand from deep and it's a match point to Sharapova...

SHARAPOVA 6-0 5-3 - Fantastic serving from Sharapova as she ruthlessly backs up that break by zipping 40-0 up. But a fine return leaves her off balance, skewing wide, and it's 40-15. Only a minor blip as a great serve wide is returned with interest, but Stosur is stranded and Sharapova just tickles it down the line.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 4-3 - BREAK! That hold appears to have livened Sharapova up as she races 30-0 up against serve before making a wonderful crosscourt winner as Stosur attacked to net. Three break points! And the first set Stosur rears her head as Sharapova breaks to love with a fierce backhand down the line.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 3-3 - Fantastic return down the line from Stosur takes it to 30-30. She really feels she can hurt the Sharapova serve now, but the Russian quickly gets to net after a smart drop shot to fire it past Stosur. Great movement and she holds under pressue.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 2-3 - The crowd are warming to Stosur's persistence as she flips a backhand down the line to leave Maria floundering. Stosur challenges a crosscourt that landed square on the line, but she kills a forehand drive on the next point. Mighty return though catches Stosur flat-footed and we have 30-30. Stosur is winning the longer points now as Maria goes long, but a weak backhand brings up deuce. Then Maria returns long, and Stosur completes a testy hold with a fine backhand winner.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 2-2 - Shame for Stosur as a very brave return lands just wide, and Sharapova saves the break point with a meaty delivery that the Aussie puts well wide.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 1-2 - Stosur in a better spot as she moves 30-15 up against the Sharapova serve, using her famed power to great effect. But a wicked serve down the middle, right on the outside of the line, brings back parity. And a break point, her first of the match, as she bombards Sharapova with some ferocious baseline bullets, too much for Maria in the end as she spoons one high and away. Deuce though as a brilliant serve is almost met with a brilliant return, but it swerves just wide.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 1-2 - Stosur's next service game boasts a tasty rally that the Aussie shades by virtue of persistence, Sharapova netting after a spell of baseline gliding. Stosur then punishes an ill-advised drop-shot by forcing Maria to backtrack, and thus go long. And Stosur holds as her next serve has too much for Sharapova. Good hold, much more like it from Sam.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 1-1 - Sharapova follows an ace with a double fault, but she blasts her way to hold to 15, a lovely booming forehand seeing to Stosur there.

SHARAPOVA 6-0 0-1 - IT BREATHES! Much better from Stosur, who has now won more points than she did in the entire first set by moving on to advantage this second-set opener. And, after a fearsome return, Maria overhits a baseline drive and we have a game for Stosur!

SHARAPOVA 0-0 - Stosur wins her first two points on serve before pumping one long after a mid-length rally. She then undercooks a forehand volley into the net to lose her lead. Frustrating. And now a break point as the Aussie flips one wide, this is really sad in a way. But Stosur bites back with a fine double-handed winner away from Sharapova. Deuce. Another break point as Maria finds some good width on the run... But now she goes long and it's deuce again. At least it's competitive!

SHARAPOVA 6-0 - SET! A first-set bagel in about 20 minutes. This may be a dead rubber but there's pride and some cash at stake, not to mention several thousand paying customers. Stosur was able to return all those serves but long, wide and to net. She only won five points in that first set.

SHARAPOVA 5-0 - BREAK! Maria blasts in a few tidy returns and, via a Stosur double fault, she has three break points. The Aussie looks like she can't be bothered, and she nets weakly from the baseline as the Russian breaks to love.

SHARAPOVA 4-0 - Sharapova varies the pace and direction on her serves, but a double fault - her first today - brings Stosur within a point of the Russian... And after some nice wide crosscourters from Maria, Stosur nets with a weak backhand.

SHARAPOVA 3-0 - BREAK! Two more break points for Sharapova as Stosur fails to deal with her unerring accuracy. A slightly longer baseline rally ensues that Sharapova is dominating, Stosur flopping one weakly into the net and it's another break. Stosur just making up the numbers here.

SHARAPOVA 2-0 - Ruthless work at the baseline from Sharapova as she waits and waits before pinging a smart drive away from Stosur for 30-0. A serve into the body, and a love hold as Stosur can't get more than the return on the next one.

SHARAPOVA 1-0 - BREAK! Not a great start for Stosur as she drops the first two points on serve, but Sharapova's next return is long. But a lovely angled forehand after Stosur telegraphed her movement brings up two break points. The first is saved as Stosur pumps a backhand down the line after Sharapova knocks one a bit short; the second is taken as another backhand down the line is loose and long.

I'm Reda Maher and I will be your commentator all afternoon and evening today. Then I will be ducking out of these Championships, to return to tennis duty for the ATP World Tour Finals in two weeks. Whoop. So if you have any questions or comments about this match or tennis in general, feel free to Tweet me @Reda_Eurosport.

HEAD TO HEAD: As you'd expect, Maria leads the Australian world number nine 10-2 on the head-to-head. However, Stosur won their last match, on the hard courts of Tokyo. Stosur arguably should have beaten Errani last night too, collapsing spectacularly under pressure. There's none of that today, so she could do all right. Poor Sam - such power, such talent, but she often flops under pressure.