Sydney: Friday Highlights
Highlights from the finals action on Day 6 of the Apia International Sydney.
Highlights from the finals action on Day 6 of the Apia International Sydney.
PARIS, France – A brief delay truncated the order of play again on Day 2 of Roland Garros, but the first round got underway in earnest by afternoon; catch up with the biggest storylines as Tuesday’s matches came to a close.
Aga and Simona roll, Muguruza survives: No one is talking about No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanksa here in Paris, but she rolled through her opener against Bojana Jovanovski, losing just two games. She’ll have a much trickier task in the second round against Caroline Garcia, who played a sharp match to beat Lesia Tsurenko in straight sets.
Not be outdone on the day, Simona Halep matched Radwanska’s feat, losing two games to Nao Hibino. She plays Zarina Diyas next.
It was a different story for No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, who needed three sets to get past a slumping Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. It was Schmiedlova’s 12th consecutive tour-level loss this year. Muguruza chalked up her slow start to, well, her headphones. The Spaniard didn’t hear her match announced over the loudpseaker and had just 10 minutes to warm up.
“I think I had the music on or something,” she said. “I didn’t really listen when someone talks with the speaker. The supervisor came, and they’re like, We’re waiting for you. I’m like, No way. I start to do running and jumping fast. So I didn’t have the time to really warm up.”
Cagla Buyukackay makes history: Buyukackay became the first Turkish woman in the Open Era to win a match at a Slam, as she rallied to beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-2. You’ll hear more from Cagla on Tuesday.
Heather Watson streaks to a big win: Watson’s first round match against her doubles partner Nicole Gibbs was suspended on Sunday due to rain, with Gibbs serving up a break and a point away from consolidating at 2-1 in the third. On Monday’s resumption, Watson would save that game point and go on to win five straight games to win, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
“My first goal was to win that first point, because I knew it was very important. I could have been 3-1 down and just one point,” Watson said. “I actually had a talk with my coach and we talked for five minutes about how we’re going to play that first point. Once I got that, I think I just kind of settled. Especially once that game was done, I started swinging through.”
Currently ranked No.56, the win was a big one for Watson’s Olympic qualifying chances. She’ll play No.13 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round.
Roberta Vinci’s early exit: The highest seed to fall after the first two days in Paris: No.7 seed Roberta Vinci. The Italian has struggled with her form since the tour turned to clay, her most uncomfortable surface. She left Paris winning just four games against Kateryna Bondarenko.
Tsvetana Pironkova gets a win on clay: When you think of clay, you don’t usually think of Pironkova, a 2010 Wimbledon semifinalist. The Bulgarian, now ranked No.102, thrives on fast, low-bouncing surfaces such as grass and very particular hard courts – remember that Sydney title? – but clay has been a challenge.
On Monday she faced off against one of the best clay courters on tour in former Roland Garros finalist and No.16 seed Sara Errani. The Italian came into Paris struggling, having gone 0-3 on European clay this season, and the lack of form showed. Pironkova rolled to a 6-3, 6-2 upset and will face Johanna Larsson in the second round.
Naomi Osaka continues to impress: The 18-year-old made the third round in her Grand Slam debut in January at the Australian Open. Now she’s into the second round at her French Open debut, beating No.32 seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-5. She’ll play Mirjana Lucic-Baroni next.
Osaka admits she’s not adept on the red clay yet, but her game may be perfectly suited for the surface. Like many who grew up playing on green clay, the European red stuff has been a shock. “I was like, Oh, my God,” Osaka said when asked about her first reaction to red clay. “Because last year I didn’t really play red clay. I didn’t play any clay, I think, so technically this year is my first time on red clay.
“Oh, God,” she said, smiling. “I don’t know what I was thinking because it’s completely different…. It’s kind of slow, and then I’m just like, Oh, hardcourt, please. But, I mean, I have to adjust, so I can’t complain about it all the time.”
“I don’t have like a hateful relationship with clay. I used to think I was the queen of grinding and then I was like, Oh, now I have to hit. People that hit powerful do well on clay. They do well on any surface.”
Class of 1997: The young class of 1997 on tour has been a promising one. Belinda Bencic has obviously set the standard of the 18-year-olds, but Jelena Ostapenko, Daria Kasatkina, and Ana Konjuh have also been eying a surge forward. Osaka says there’s no rivalry between the young women. Just sources of motivation.
“They’re kind of doing better than me right now, but I don’t know,” Osaka said. “I am trying to do my own thing and I’m sure they’re trying to do their own thing. We’re all going for different goals that are kind of the same because everyone wants to be No.1 and stuff. I mean, I don’t have any like [ill will] – nothing but love. Like no negative feelings or anything towards anybody.”
Shelby Rogers ‘bolts’ into the second round: Read more about Rogers’ big upset over No.17 seed Karolina Pliskova here.
Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber, and Victoria Azarenka ready for Tuesday: After two rain-addled days in Paris, the forecast looks positive for Tuesday, which means in an ideal world, the first round will conclude as scheduled. World No.1 Serena Williams gets underway against Magdalena Rybarikova, Kerber is on upset watch against Nuremberg champion Kiki Bertens, and Azarenka plays Karin Knapp.
Full order of play here.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Elise Mertens has Friday’s shot of the day at the Hobart International.
MELBOURNE, Australia – The 2017 Australian Open begins on Monday in Melbourne, with World No.1 and defending champion Angelique Kerber headlining the first night session on Rod Laver Arena. What else do you need to know about your favorite WTA stars as the first Grand Slam tournament of the season gets underway?
Click here for a full analysis of the draw, courtesy of WTA Insider.
1. Kerber contends for first-ever major title defense.
Kerber came away with an impressive haul of Grand Slam titles in 2016, bookending the season with wins Down Under and the US Open – taking the No.1 ranking at the latter. 2017 is a new ballgame for the German, who will seek to defend a major title for the first time in her career. Her first opponent is Lesia Tsurenko, with the likes of Eugenie Bouchard and Roberta Vinci looming in her section of the draw.
2. Serena could reclaim No.1 in Australia.
In the other half of the draw stands 22-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who is firmly in the hunt for her seventh Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy in Melbourne. The American would have to reach the final to have a chance at wresting the No.1 ranking from Kerber; click here to find out how it would all have to shake out.
3. Radwanska feeling in Grand Slam rhythm.
Armed with a new racquet, No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska is the high seed in Serena’s half of the draw, projecting a rematch of their 2016 semifinal encounter Down Under. Radwanska shrugged off a tough week in Shenzhen to reach the final at the Apia International Sydney, but has a potentially tricky opener against Tsvetana Pironkova. The Bulgarian beat Radwanska in their most recent meeting at last year’s French Open.
4. Halep in hot pursuit of first major title.
No.4 seed Simona Halep also started her year in Shenzhen, but arrived last week for some early preparation in Melbourne on the advice of coach Darren Cahill. The Romanian opens against American Shelby Rogers, and is aiming to build on her pair of quarterfinal appearances earned in 2014 and 2015.
5. Cibulkova seeking Singapore stepping stone.
No.5 seed Dominika Cibulkova ended 2016 on an all-time high, winning the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global and reaching a best-ever ranking of No.5. The Slovak’s biggest major success came in Melbourne, where she reached the final back in 2014.
6. Is this Pliskova’s breakthrough moment?
Karolina Pliskova fell before the second week in her first 17 Grand Slam appearances, but made up for lost time in style at the US Open, where she rolled past both Williams sisters en route to the final. The Czech looked just as tough in Brisbane to start 2017, winning the tournament alongside new coach David Kotyza and moving back up to a career-high of No.5.
7. Muguruza feeding off good Melbourne memories.
Garbiñe Muguruza enjoyed a strong start to the season before injury forced her to retire from the Brisbane International semifinals. Still, the the No.7 seed feels fit and fresh ahead of the Australian Open, starting off against New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic on Monday.
8. Kuznetsova rounds out Top 8.
Kuznetsova burned some serious rubber on the Road to Singapore last fall, narrowly qualifying to become the story of the tournament, reaching the semifinals. This year, Kuznetsova is feeling calm as she hopes to surpass the quarterfinals, her previous best finish in Australia.
9. Venus & Serena headline the doubles draw.
The Australian Open women’s doubles draw came out on Sunday, with Wimbledon winners Venus and Serena Williams coming in as the most dangerous floaters in the draw, seeded No.15. The pair could play No.2 seeds Lucie Safarova and new World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the third round.
10. No.1 up for grabs in Australia.
The singles No.1 isn’t the only ranking under threat at the Australian Open. Mattek-Sands narrowly took the top spot from Sania Mirza in Brisbane, ending the Indian star’s 91-week reign. But Elena Vesnina and the French team of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic all have a shot of taking No.1 during the fortnight. Click here to find out how.
The French word for perfect is parfait, and while we’re in Paris it’s only fitting that USANA Ambassador Eugenie Bouchard shared with us her recipe for the perfect pre-match snack.
Yogurt is naturally loaded with nutrients like protein, calcium, and probiotics, while Genie adds fruits and grains for extra sweetness and crunch.
Here’s everything you need to make her delicious parfait:
USANA is the Official Vitamin & Supplement Supplier of the WTA, and over 170 Athletes – including 8 out of the Top 10 and 15 out of the Top 20 use USANA products. Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, Samantha Stosur, Eugenie Bouchard, and Madison Keys are among several USANA ambassadors, and 2016 marks the 10th Anniversary of the USANA-WTA partnership.
MELBOURNE, Australia – An ageless Venus Williams played remarkable tennis in the high heat of the Australian Open, knocking out a game Kateryna Kozlova, 7-6(5), 7-5.
“Girl, I don’t know,” Venus joked when asked how she got the job done during her on-court interview. “I know how to play tennis, and I like to think I’m good at this. She hasn’t had the years I’ve had, the grey hair I’m dyeing, the wrinkles I’m hiding.”
V never goes out of style.#ausopen pic.twitter.com/jUf4wJ9eeN
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2017
Seeded No.13, Venus was playing just her second match of 2017 after withdrawing from the ASB Classic due to right-arm pain, and was taking on a tricky opponent in Kozlova, who took her to three sets at the US Open last summer. In an ironic twist, the 22-year-old was born the same year Venus turned pro back in 1994.
“You’re trying to make me feel old!” joked Williams.
Kozlova served for the first set but the seven-time Grand Slam champion’s experience shone through when it mattered most, breaking the young Ukrainian to win the ensuing tie-break.
“Just from the warm-up it looked like she was just ready to go, hitting it solid,” she said in her post-match press conference. “I really have to give her a lot of credit for playing a match that was not a lot of errors and just relentless.
“I guess when I walk out there I have to expect that from my opponents and not an easy first round, but a great first round to get through, for sure.”
She twirls her way to 2R. Go #Venus #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/hzCSYDY3Jp
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2017
Venus appeared to struggle with the heat at times, relying on ice towels to keep cool during the changeovers.
“I’m a Floridian, so I’m pretty good with heat,” she admitted. “But obviously, if it’s going to be hot, I think with players, you can train in the heat the week before. This last week it was kind of cool, actually, a lot of the time. So it’s definitely a wildcard, like, total wildcard.”
Despite losing some momentum in the second set, the American rebounded to take the last three games of the match and advance into the second round after just over two hours.
Up next for the former World No.1 is either Stefanie Voegele or Kurumi Nara.
A wonderful start for #Venus #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/QVhFuaUdDg
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2017
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova takes on Natalia Vikhlyantseva in the second round of the Australian Open.
PARIS, France – No.26 seed Kristina Mladenovic has saved some of her best tennis for her home major tournament, and this year’s Roland Garros appears to be no different; the French No.1 eased past former doubles partner Timea Babos, 6-4, 6-3 to book a third round clash with 21-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
Mladenovic and Babos spent the last few years as one of the tour’s top doubles teams, reaching the 2014 Wimbledon final and qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, but the former began 2016 with countrywoman Caroline Garcia in preparation for the Rio Olympics, while the latter has paired with fellow big hitter Yaroslava Shvedova.
“It was extremely difficult to prepare this match,” she said in her post match press conference. “And she is a girl I know by heart. She’s one of my best friends. We have known each other since we were really kids.
“When you know your opponent by heart usually this is not good, because there’s pressure, there’s tension. You anticipate her shots, you try and change your game to surprise her.
“But it’s also the attitude, the general atmosphere. You don’t exactly know what to expect and what to do.”
French hopeful Mladenovic sets up 3R meeting with defending champion Serena w/straight sets win over Babos. #RG16 pic.twitter.com/0doXa0xw6Z
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2016
Mladenovic and Garcia have come into the doubles event as favorites to end Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza’s bid at the Santina Slam, while Babos is in the midst of a career-best season, upsetting Venus Williams in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia after starting the clay court season with a run to the semifinals in Rabat.
The match appeared straightforward from the start for Mladenovic, who raced out to a quick 3-0 lead, but lost the next four games despite holding points for 4-1. That proved to be the final twist in Court Philippe Chatrier’s last match of the day, as the 23-year-old won the last three games on the bounce to clinch the opening set, and just one service break decided the second for her to win the match in 79 minutes.
“I tried to work a lot on statistics with my coach. This is what we did. We looked at her past seven or eight matches on clay in the recent weeks, or, for instance — well, we looked at her stats. That’s to help me in what I was going to do.
“But look at her stats, today she did totally the contrary of what you have in the data.
“This is the beauty of our sport. It’s also why this match was difficult. I was ready.”
In what could be a rivalry for the future, the two exchanged powerful groundstrokes from the back of the court, with Mladenovic hitting 22 winners to Babos’ 13, but it was the 22 erros from the big-serving Hungarian that proved disastrous; Mladenovic managed to reign in her error count to 18.
Serena Williams stands between the Frenchwoman and the second week of Roland Garros; the two have never met before, but the three-time champion will could well face stiff opposition from the inspired youngster and the enthusiatic French crowd.
“The first word I would use is ‘at last,’ because, well, what can I say? It’s going to be difficult. Maybe I wanted to have a better draw, but then also I think it’s very positive.
“I have to take it very positively. This is an experience, something to do, it’s a dream. I grew up watching Serena play. Then I’m going to play against her.
“So she is the best, I think, in my sport. She’s a legend. I’m extremely happy, because this is a challenge.
“She is dominating. She’s been dominating every single match in the recent years. And it’s going to be very complicated. And as we speak, frankly, I’m very happy so far. I enjoy what I have done. I know how difficult it was for me at the beginning of the tournament, so what I will do is – of course I will debrief my matches. I will enjoy these two wins, and then I will try and get ready as best I can for this match against Serena.”
Earlier in the day, Virginie Razzano wasn’t able to match Mladenovic and Alizé Cornet’s wins against No.29 seed Daria Kasatkina, falling, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, but Pauline Parmentier backed up her run to the quarterfinals of the Internationaux de Strasbourg with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Irina Falconi. No.15 seed and Rome finalist Madison Keys continued her clay court renaissance, defeating Mariana Duque-Mariño, 6-3, 6-2 to book a third round encounter with either Julia Goerges or Monica Puig.
Karin Knapp followed up her upset win over No.5 seed Victoria Azarenka by beating Anastasija Sevastova, 6-3, 6-4, and will play Yulia Putintseva, who pulled off an upset of her own over No.28 seed and 2014 semifinalist Andrea Petkovic, 6-2, 6-2.
Dominika Cibulkova and Carla Suárez Navarro booked the most high-profile clash as the Mutua Madrid Open runner-up recovered from a second set hiccup to shut out Ana Konjuh, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, while Suárez Navarro was emphatic in her 6-1, 6-3 victory over Wang Qiang.
La joie de @kikimladenovic après sa victoire contre timea babos ! elle est au 3ème tour ?? #RG16 https://t.co/xvYycG6O2G
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2016
Kristyna Pliskova takes on Irina-Camelia Begu in the second round of the Australian Open.
Life is a rollercoaster for Svetlana Kuznetsova, and while in Melbourne she stopped by Luna Park to take a ride on one in real life. (Fiona Hamilton, Tennis Australia)
Before the action, Sveta made sure to grab some popcorn and cotton candy, standard amusement park treats! (Fiona Hamilton, Tennis Australia)
Luna Park is a very historic amusement park – it opened in 1912! (Fiona Hamilton, Tennis Australia)
Sveta eased into the amusement park spirit with a ride on the Magical Carousel. (Getty Images)
Next up, Sveta took her whole team onto the Scenic Railway rollercoaster. (Fiona Hamilton, Tennis Australia)
Sveta looks like she’s having fun! Coach Carlos Martínez? Not so much… (Fiona Hamilton, Tennis Australia)
Opened in December 1912, the Scenic Railway is the oldest continually operating roller coaster in the world! (Getty Images)
“I was a little bit nervous before getting on, but it was not too big!” Sveta said after the ride. (Getty Images)
Scenic Railway is one of only three roller coasters in the world that require a brakeman to stand in the middle of the train – he looks pretty calm! (Getty Images)
“I don’t remember the last time I’ve been to a park like this! Visiting somewhere other than the tennis club, it’s already very good,” she added. (Fiona Hamilton, Tennis Australia)