Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

#ThankYouAna: WTA Fans Share Favorite Ivanovic Memories

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Few have engaged tennis fans quite like Ana Ivanovic; the former No.1 and 2008 French Open champion has a combined 4.5 million followers on Facebook and Twitter.

Those fans took to social media to express their gratitude for their favorite player with the hashtag #ThankYouAna. Check out some of the best fan tweets below:

Source link

Wimbledon: The Last 20 Champions

Wimbledon: The Last 20 Champions

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970
Steffi Graf won her second straight Wimbledon final against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1996.

Steffi Graf won her second straight Wimbledon final against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1996.

16-year-old Martina Hingis became the youngest Wimbledon winner since Lottie Dodd in 1887, but did so at the expense of good friend and doubles partner Jana Novotna, who was playing her first major final since her heartbreaking loss to Steffi Graf in 1993 at the All England Club.

16-year-old Martina Hingis became the youngest Wimbledon winner since Lottie Dodd in 1887, but did so at the expense of good friend and doubles partner Jana Novotna, who was playing her first major final since her heartbreaking loss to Steffi Graf in 1993 at the All England Club.

But Novotna finally won her Wimbledon trophy one year later in 1998, upsetting Hingis in the semifinals and defeating Nathalie Tauziat in the championship match.

But Novotna finally won her Wimbledon trophy one year later in 1998, upsetting Hingis in the semifinals and defeating Nathalie Tauziat in the championship match.

Lindsay Davenport ended Steffi Graf's hopes for a 23rd Grand Slam title by winning her second major in under a year and defeating the German in her final Wimbledon appearance.

Lindsay Davenport ended Steffi Graf’s hopes for a 23rd Grand Slam title by winning her second major in under a year and defeating the German in her final Wimbledon appearance.

Venus won the first of her five Wimbledon titles to kick off the new millennium, knocking out Hingis, sister Serena, and defending champion Davenport for her long-awaited first Grand Slam title.

Venus won the first of her five Wimbledon titles to kick off the new millennium, knocking out Hingis, sister Serena, and defending champion Davenport for her long-awaited first Grand Slam title.

Venus repeated the feat in 2001, becoming the first woman to win two Wimbledons in a row since Graf in 1996, defeating a young Justine Henin, who was playing her first major final, in three sets.

Venus repeated the feat in 2001, becoming the first woman to win two Wimbledons in a row since Graf in 1996, defeating a young Justine Henin, who was playing her first major final, in three sets.

Venus and Serena played the first of four all-Williams Wimbledon finals in 2002, with younger sister coming out on top for her first victory at the All England Club, which became the second leg of her 2002-2003 Serena Slam.

Venus and Serena played the first of four all-Williams Wimbledon finals in 2002, with younger sister coming out on top for her first victory at the All England Club, which became the second leg of her 2002-2003 Serena Slam.

The sisters met again in 2003 for an epic three-set final that saw Serena capture her fifth Grand Slam title in six appearances.

The sisters met again in 2003 for an epic three-set final that saw Serena capture her fifth Grand Slam title in six appearances.

Wimbledon at 17: Maria Sharapova toppled Serena Williams in straight sets to capture her first major title, catapulting her to the top of the women's game in 2004.

Wimbledon at 17: Maria Sharapova toppled Serena Williams in straight sets to capture her first major title, catapulting her to the top of the women’s game in 2004.

Seeded No.14, Venus Williams overcame all kinds of adversity to up-end Davenport for her first major title since 2001, saving a match point and winning the longest women's final in Wimbledon history back in 2005.

Seeded No.14, Venus Williams overcame all kinds of adversity to up-end Davenport for her first major title since 2001, saving a match point and winning the longest women’s final in Wimbledon history back in 2005.

Less than six months after her first major title, Amélie Mauresmo struck gold at Wimbledon, denying Henin of the Career Grand Slam to clinch her first Wimbledon title in 2006.

Less than six months after her first major title, Amélie Mauresmo struck gold at Wimbledon, denying Henin of the Career Grand Slam to clinch her first Wimbledon title in 2006.

Ranked outside the Top 30, Venus became the lowest ranked and lowest seeded woman in Wimbledon history to capture the Venus Rosewater dish, taking out surprise finalist Marion Bartoli for her fourth title at the All England Club.

Ranked outside the Top 30, Venus became the lowest ranked and lowest seeded woman in Wimbledon history to capture the Venus Rosewater dish, taking out surprise finalist Marion Bartoli for her fourth title at the All England Club.

Venus made it two in a row once more in 2008, earning her first win over sister Serena in a Grand Slam final since 2001 for her fifth Wimbledon title.

Venus made it two in a row once more in 2008, earning her first win over sister Serena in a Grand Slam final since 2001 for her fifth Wimbledon title.

Serena got her revenge in 2009, defeating Venus in straight sets for her second major title of the season.

Serena got her revenge in 2009, defeating Venus in straight sets for her second major title of the season.

Serena defended her Wimbledon title for the second time in her illustrious career, defeating Vera Zvonareva in straight sets.

Serena defended her Wimbledon title for the second time in her illustrious career, defeating Vera Zvonareva in straight sets.

Petra Kvitova became the first woman born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam, surprising Maria Sharapova to win her first of two Wimbledon titles in 2011.

Petra Kvitova became the first woman born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam, surprising Maria Sharapova to win her first of two Wimbledon titles in 2011.

After a harrowing two-year odyssey dealing with injuries and illness, Serena won her first major title since 2010, surviving a second-set fightback from Agnieszka Radwanska in the final. Serena came back to the All England Club three weeks later to win a pair of Olympic Gold medals.

After a harrowing two-year odyssey dealing with injuries and illness, Serena won her first major title since 2010, surviving a second-set fightback from Agnieszka Radwanska in the final. Serena came back to the All England Club three weeks later to win a pair of Olympic Gold medals.

Marion Bartoli made her Grand Slam dream come true in 2013, stunning Sabine Lisicki in straight sets as the Frenchwoman won her first major title before retiring a few weeks later.

Marion Bartoli made her Grand Slam dream come true in 2013, stunning Sabine Lisicki in straight sets as the Frenchwoman won her first major title before retiring a few weeks later.

Kvitova won her second Wimbledon title in 2014, playing emphatic tennis over the fortnight leading up to a brilliant display in the championship match against Eugenie Bouchard.

Kvitova won her second Wimbledon title in 2014, playing emphatic tennis over the fortnight leading up to a brilliant display in the championship match against Eugenie Bouchard.

Serena's sixth Wimbledon title may have been her most special, as it helped her clinch her second Serena Slam. The World No.1 will nonetheless be in the hunt for title No.7 next week at the All England Club.

Serena’s sixth Wimbledon title may have been her most special, as it helped her clinch her second Serena Slam. The World No.1 will nonetheless be in the hunt for title No.7 next week at the All England Club.

Source link

Cibulkova Hosts Youth Q&A As WTA Charities Launches In Brisbane

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BRISBANE, Australia – Dominika Cibulkova starts the 2017 season at a career-high ranking following her year-end triumph at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Still, the Slovak found time to assist the efforts of the newly formed WTA Charities before kicking off her campaign at the Brisbane International.

Partnering with the Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland and the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, Cibulkova met a group of sick children who came prepared to ask the World No.5 questions about her life and career in Brisbane.

“They were really nice kids, asking good questions,” Cibulkova said after the event. “It was nice to meet them and I’m happy I can do this kind of thing.”

Asked what other sports she played, the former Australian Open finalist talked about the gymnastics she did as a child, but now enjoys skiing when she’s not on the tennis court. She also issued a challenge to Andre Agassi when asked which player she’d like to play.

“It’s cool that kids can get to know us a bit more, and I think they’ll follow tennis more intensely now, because when you know one of the players, you get more involved and more emotional. I think that’s really nice.”

Launched at the start of 2017, the mission of WTA Charities is to be a social responsibility vehicle built on the WTA’s values to empower and provide for a better future. WTA Charities is dedicated to combining, strengthening and enhancing the community and charitable efforts of the WTA through its members (players, alumnae and tournaments), along with its partners.

Cibulkova is the No.2 seed in Brisbane and will play her opening round match against Zhang Shuai.

Source link

Vesnina Vanquishes Watson In Eastbourne

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

EASTBOURNE, England – 2013 champion Elena Vesnina got her Aegon International Eastbourne campaign off to a winning start, storming past British No.2 Heather Watson in straight sets for a spot in the second round.

Watch live action from Eastbourne this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

The Russian needed just over an hour to oust the home favorite 6-2, 6-3, and grab her first grass court win of the season.

“It was really a nice atmosphere on the court because a lot of people came to watch our match,” the Russian said. “It was really tough conditions: windy, smoggy at the end. I’m really happy that I won this difficult match.”

Despite the conditions, Vesnina was in full flight against the Brit in the overcast Eastbourne. After starting out in a deadlock, Vesnina left Watson reeling when she rattled off four games in a row to snap up the first set 6-2. Watson continued to struggle in the second set before giving up a late break to hand Vesnina the match.

Vesnina won 71% of points behind her first serve and not facing a break point in the entire match. She struck 24 winners to 16 unforced errors, compared to Watson’s 13 and 17. Vesnina was especially dominating at the net, winning 12 of her 14 net points.

“I’m really happy to be back in Eastbourne,” Vesnina said after her win. “It’s bringing me some good memories from winning the title here in 2013. Of course, it’s tough to play Heather here in England again with everyone supporting her.”

Nevertheless, the win is a good omen for the Russian: in 2013, Vesnina beat out Watson in the second round on her way to the title.

After ousting the home favorite in commanding fashion, Vesnina will next look to thwart Belinda Bencic’s happy homecoming to Eastbourne. Bencic, the defending champion, kicked her 2015 season into high gear at the Aegon International last year and already has a semifinal appearance at the Ricoh Open under her belt.

Watson wasn’t the only local who took a tumble in the first round. Of the four Brits in the main draw, three lost today as Tara Moore and Naomi Broady were sent crashing out.

Monica Puig played through a thick fog in her 6-1, 6-1 against Broady, and admitted that the blustery conditions were difficult to adjust to.

“Just keeping my focus was the main key, Puig said. “I knew the points weren’t going to be long, so I just had to be very aware of what was going on.

“I’ve never played in a sea mist before. It was really something, it was tough to see the ball!”

Joining Vesnina and Puig in the second round are Eugenie Bouchard, Andrea Petkovic and Ekaterina Makarova.

Source link

Serena Returns To Action In Auckland

Serena Returns To Action In Auckland

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – World No.2 Serena Williams is back in action for the first time in five months at the ASB Classic, playing her first ever match in Auckland. She’s not the only big name hitting the court, though, with Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki also starting out 2017 in New Zealand.

Click here for the complete Auckland singles and doubles draws.

POSSIBLE QUARTERFINALS:

[1] Serena Williams vs [7] Jelena Ostapenko
[4] Barbora Strycova vs [5] Kiki Bertens
[6] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs [3] Caroline Wozniacki
[8] Ana Konjuh vs [2] Venus Williams

Serena Williams

‘NEW EXPERIENCES’ KEY FOR SERENA:

It’s been over five months since Serena played a tour-level tennis match, after falling to Karolina Pliskova at the US Open semifinals. She ended her season rehabbing a troublesome shoulder injury that kept her out of the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Now that she’s back in action, No.1 seed Serena admits to relishing new experiences – on and off the court.

“I’ve never been in Auckland and so I’ve never had an opportunity to be first in the world to welcome in this New Year,” she said at a charity event ahead of her opening match.

“This is a new experience for me and the fact that I’m still having new experiences this deep into my career makes me feel really good.”

Serena Williams, Venus Williams

Competing at the ASB Classic for the first time, the newly-engaged Serena will have the chance to collect her first win in Auckland as she opens the day session on Tuesday against France’s Pauline Parmentier for the pair’s first tour-level match.

Later tonight, No.2 seed Venus is set to take on local wildcard Jade Lewis, while No.3 seed Wozniacki will close out the night session against Nicole Gibbs.

– Photos courtesy of Tennis Auckland

Source link

Wozniacki Storms Past Stosur

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

EASTBOURNE, England – Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki stormed into the round of 16 at the Aegon International Eastbourne with an emphatic win over No.7 seed Sam Stosur, 6-2, 6-1.

Watch live action from Eastbourne this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Back in early April, Wozniacki suffered an ankle injury that sidelined her for the clay season and saw her dip to No.35 in the rankings, her lowest ranking since May 2008. But after two matches at Eastbourne, it seems like the worst is behind the Dane: she’s dropped serve just once and no more than three games a set all tournament long.

Against Stosur, 2009 champion Wozniacki scored her first Top 20 win of the year, and she did so in commanding fashion.

“I feel good. The ankle is feeling good,” Wozniacki assured in her post-match press conference. “As long as I’m stable and moving well, it feels good.

“I’m pleased with the way I have been playing.You know, the first match I played quite well, but today I feel I played even better. Hopefully there is more tennis to come.”

Wozniacki got off to a roaring start against the Australian, staying aggressive and targeting Stosur’s second serve.

She broke Stosur early on to climb to a 4-1 lead before closing the set, 6-2, after 37 minutes. She didn’t let up in the second set, breaking twice to climb to a 5-0 lead and winning 80% of her second serve points to Stosur’s 17%. Despite a fierce tug-of-war in the last game, Wozniacki sent Stosur packing in straight sets.

Despite the one-sided score line, Wozniacki is pleased with her progress and

“In the end of the day, some results might look easy on the grass but it never is,” Wozniacki said. “You always have to focus and take advantage of the break points you get.

“I mean, Sam is a big server, so I was really pleased about the way I was able to return today.”

Also in action today, Andrea Petkovic backed up her round of 16 appearance at Birmingham by scoring an upset win against No.13 seed Sara Errani. She overcame a mid-match wobble to advance 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, notching her career-first Top 30 win on grass against the No.22 Errani.

Joining Wozniacki and Petkovic in the round of 16 are Ekaterina Makarova and local favorite Johanna Konta. No.11 seed Konta fought through a sluggish start against Lesia Tsurenko to advance 7-6(4), 6-1, while Makarova scored the upset of the tournament by coming back from a set down to knock out the No.2 seed Roberta Vinci 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Source link