Tennis News

MOSCOW, Russia – World No.8 Svetlana Kuznetsova will make one final push to qualify for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, taking a last-minute wildcard into next week’s Kremlin Cup. Kuznetsova is the defending champion. Anna Kalinskaya also received a wildcard into the Moscow main draw.

Last year, Kuznetsova surged into a qualifying spot for the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai with her Moscow triumph. This year a deep run at her hometown tournament could boost her into her first WTA Finals since 2009. Kuznetsova, who has advanced to the semifinals of this week’s Tianjin Open, currently sits at No.11 on the Road to Singapore. Only the Top 8 players at the end of the season will qualify.

The Premier-level Kremlin Cup will be the last significant opportunity for top players to earn big ranking points and bolster their qualification campaigns. In addition to Kuznetsova, other players looking to qualify for Singapore in Moscow are Dominika Cibulkova and Carla Suárez Navarro.

At the International-level BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open, wildcards have been awarded to 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, local favorite Mandy Minella, and France’s talented teenager Oceane Dodin. Petra Kvitova remains the top seed.

Tianjin, China – Shuai Peng claimed the first WTA singles title of her career by beating Alison Riske at the Tianjin Open.

Peng, who has slipped to No.182 in the WTA Rankings because of injury problems, took a wildcard from the tournament and emerged victorious in the final by beating a player ranked almost 130 places ahead of her 7-6, 6-2.

It was Riske who made the early running but Peng proved to be obdurate opposition, saving nine break points before eventually succumbing to the American.

However, her advantage was short lived, with Peng breaking back immediately. Riske went up a break one more to give herself a chance to serve for the set at 6-5, but history repeated itself and Peng forced a tiebreak, which she eventually won.

Riske had a hangover heading into the second set, falling a break behind in the first game. Peng doubled her advantage soon after and closed out the match to confirm a stunning upset.

“The match was really tough for me today,” Riske said after the match. 

“I had a really tough day in general, playing Kuznetsova earlier, I did the best I could, Peng had a great match, she was the better player today.

“I think this year was huge for me, I finished in the top 50. I take a lot of pride in it and confidence from my season, I look forward to what 2017 brings.”

To tell the story of 2016 is to tell the story of Angelique Kerber’s transformation from a talented grinder – one who couldn’t shake her tendency of coming up small in big situations – to the model of work ethic and persistence that grew to shine when the spotlight was at its brightest. She goes into her fourth WTA Finals as a two-time major champion, the winningest woman on tour this season, and set to clinch the year-end No.1 ranking.

The evolution began in Singapore last year, when the German capped off her 2015 season with a nervous, disappointing loss to Lucie Safarova at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Having never qualified out of the round robin stage in her two previous attempts, Kerber found herself a set away from advancing to the semifinals. All she had to do was take a set off a recovering Lucie Safarova, who had qualified on the strength of her season but was coming off months of illness. It was supposed to be a straightforward match.

Kerber lost in straight sets. And she was furious with herself afterwards, admitting that the pressure got to her and she blinked. When she sat down with her coach Torben Beltz in the off-season, the two vowed that sort of capitulation would never happen again.

They also made it their goal to peak for the tour’s biggest events. Coming into this season Kerber had not made a major semifinal since Wimbledon in 2012. Despite a strong season that saw her win four Premier titles, she sputtered at the Slams, failing to make the second week at all four. No longer content with being a solid Top 10 player, Kerber let loose her ambition. It paid off immediately.

First came her shock run to the Australian Open title, where she went from match point down to Misaki Doi in the first round to beating an in-form Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals, all before playing an incredible match to beat then-No.1 Serena Williams to win her first major title.

From there she proved herself the most reliable challenger to Serena throughout the season as well as the most consistent player on tour over the course of 10 months, a rare combination in recent times. She went 59-17 on the season, making the semifinals or better at 10 events this year. She successfully defended her title at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart (her first career title defense), backed up her Australian Open run by making the Wimbledon final, and charged through the summer hardcourts, where she made three consecutive finals at the Olympic tennis event, the Western & Southern Open, and the US Open.

With the No.1 ranking on the line in New York, Kerber marched towards the final without a hitch and then capped off her Slam season with a tough three-set win over Karolina Pliskova to win the US Open and again prove that her season was not about a stellar two or four week run of tournaments, but about her ability to win throughout the season.

Through it all, Kerber proved herself to be one of the best pure competitors on tour this year. On hardcourts, clay courts, or grass, Kerber battled for every point and every match. She amped up her forehand and became a more aggressive player in 2016. When matches got tight in the past, Kerber’s counterpunching style would default into a more defensive stance. This year it defaulted into offense. She backed herself, took her chances, and took control over her own destiny.

“I played a lot of tough matches last year like three sets and especially here, as well, against Victoria Azarenka [at the US Open] last year,” Kerber said in Flushing. “That was also one match I remember where I really just pushed the balls and I was not going for it. So there were a lot of matches last year where I knew that I have to be aggressive to win it. This change also in my mind. To making the transfer is not so easy, but I think I did it well.”

After she won the US Open, I asked Kerber what was the loudest, most frequent criticism of her game when she was a teenager. The woman who has tallied a 17-5 record in three-set matches this year, winning two pressure-soaked three-set Slam finals, didn’t hesitate with a response.

“Actually when I was starting when I was 16 or 17, my fitness was the worst,” Kerber said. “Everybody was telling me that I needed to train more my fitness. Ten years later my fitness is the best and I can move forever on the court.

“I was too slow, I couldn’t play three sets because I was not prepared for this. Also conditions, when it was really hot I was like ok, I have to run again. That’s changed. Everything’s changed. I think you have to learn how to work very hard. I think that was a process for me, to really see that when you’re working really hard on your fitness your results are better.”

“When you know you can run forever on court and you’re not worried that you can play three sets. I think this is really important for your confidence that you can play like two, three hours and you can go for it. I think I was working a lot on these things. This gives me a lot of confidence, especially also in Australia where it’s really hot.”

Kerber’s physical and mental transformation shows in the titles she’s won this year. Through the searing heat of the Australian Open, the nerves of defending the biggest German title in Stuttgart, and rising through the New York pressure cooker, Kerber never wavered in her belief in her game and her abilities. Hers is a story that should inspire the other women in the locker room, those who may not have been given the power shots that tend to define the modern game. Speak to Kerber enough and you’ll realize one of her key phrases when discussing the key to her game or her season is “going for it.”

In 2016, no one seized her moment like Angelique Kerber.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Former World No.9 Andrea Petkovic had a whirlwind start to her week at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, but is thoroughly enjoying her first visit to Russia’s cultural capital, into the second round as a qualifier.

“I just came back from Australia on Wednesday, and I had to get a Russian visa from Germany,” she explained before making the main draw. “I got it Friday at 1PM, and didn’t arrive to St. Petersburg before 11PM last night. I couldn’t practice here, so everything was a little fast.”

The German hasn’t dropped a set through four matches, all without new coach Sasha Nensel, who was held up due to visa issues. Traveling with her mother, Petkovic is instead drawing inspiration from seeing Mirjana Lucic-Baroni reach the semifinals of the Australian Open; the pair played doubles in Melbourne, reaching the semifinals.

“I feel like I still have so much more in me, and I think it was important for me to make a new commitment with a new coach to show I still want it. He’s really hard on me, and I haven’t had this before, so it’s a new thing for me. I like it so far, and we’ll see where it takes me.”

The 29-year-old has used the surge of veteran success as primary motivation of late, crediting another doubles partner, good friend and former World No.1 Angelique Kerber as the first to reignite her passion for the game.

“I didn’t know where my place was, but I kept going half-heartedly,” she said of an emotional end to her 2015 season. “When Angie won the Australian Open and started playing so well, I saw what an achievement it was and how happy it made her.

“It’s a different story from when you see Serena winning Slams, because she’s so far away from me. But Angie and I are good friends; we played doubles so many times, and it made me think about how if she can do it, I can do it.”

There would be no better place for Petkovic to start doing it than St. Petersburg, a city that played a prominent part of her childhood.

“One of my favorite authors is Dostoyevsky. I feel like I know the city very well; I’ve just never been here before. When we arrived, my mother saw the river and said, ‘Look at the water, what kind of river is it?’ I answered, ‘That’s the Neva,’ and she was like, ‘How do you know that?’ I said, ‘I read it, I know it!’

“It’s difficult because I came so late and I have to play, but I really hope that I can catch a day or afternoon to see the Hermitage. One day, when I’m done with tennis, I want to come back here as a tourist because this is one of the cities I’ve always wanted to visit. I have a picture of it in my mind, because I’ve never actually seen it!”

Her love for Dostoyevsky runs deep, citing Rodion Raskolnikov – the protagonist to Crime and Punishment – as her “first crush.”

“I always struggle because I really like The Brothers Karamazov but the first book I read of his was Crime and Punishment; I read it several times. I think I like Brothers Karamazov more.”

Her comfort on court in St. Petersburg was particular evident when she brought back some familiar dance moves after beating Begu – perhaps inspired by Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova.

“Their dancing was so professional. I used to do a few dance moves but they had a choreographer! They were so in sync that I’d be a little afraid to be in competition with them.”

Regardless of choreography, Petkovic undoubtedly appears in rhythm ahead of her next match against No.6 seed, defending champion Roberta Vinci.

.@AndreaPetkovic dancing her way into the second round! ? pic.twitter.com/2ePW8Rrsak

— WTA (@WTA) January 31, 2017

All photos courtesy of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy 2017

As Dominika Cibulkova, Caroline Wozniacki, and Peng Shuai showed over the weekend, comebacks come in all manner of ways. And to appreciate what each woman did to win the weekend titles, you have to understand what they’ve come back from.

Cibulkova finally earns her spot in Singapore.

For Cibulkova, her run to her third title of the season at the Generali Ladies Linz capped of a resurgent year that saw her return to the Top 10 and qualify for her first BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. After a strong Asian Swing, in which she made the final of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, Cibulkova knew she had to win the title in Linz to qualify for Singapore.

This was not the first time the 27-year-old had a chance to earn a berth for the WTA Finals. In 2014, reaching her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open put her in the RTS mix just as the tour turned to the summer hardcourt season. She went on to win just three regular season matches after Wimbledon. As Cibulkova has said, she wanted to qualify so badly she could not enjoy her tennis or play well.

“In 2014 I was very close, and that’s what made me very intense and want it too much,” Cibulkova told WTA Insider after triumphing at the Aegon International in June. “I was over-motivated and it didn’t happen.” She vowed to learn her lesson after that disappointment, and with a help of a sports psychologist, Cibulkova she had to let go in order to excel.

Then came a heel surgery in the spring of 2015, which sidelined Cibulkova for five months. She went from being a Top 10 player in 2014 to No. 66 at the start of this season. The climb back has been a steady and methodical one, highlighted by three titles and three big finals as well, at the Mutua Madrid Open, Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.

And it all came together perfectly in Linz, where she won the title, under pressure, without losing a set.

Wozniacki’s abrupt U-Turn.

Everything you need to know about Wozniacki’s year can be summed up in a single stat. Wozniacki was 13-14 before the US Open this year. Since then? She’s 19-3, with those three losses coming coming to Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska.

After making her surprise run to the US Open semifinals – her best result at a major since 2014 – the Dane has won two titles, at the Toray Pan Pacific Open and now the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. After a season of fits and starts that saw her struggle to remain healthy and build momentum, Wozniacki is now back in the Top 20 with a solid shot to qualify for the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

In fact, with her entry in this week’s tournament in Luxembourg and as one of the in-form players heading to Zhuhai, Wozniacki should put herself in great position to get back in the Top 10 early next year. That’s an incredible turnaround for a player who was ranked No.74 less than two months ago.

Peng Shuai’s overdue win on home soil.

But the best story of the weekend came at the Tianjin Open, where 30-year-old Peng Shuai, who had been the standard-bearer of Chinese tennis for years along with Li Na, finally won her maiden WTA title. It was just two years ago that the Tianjin native made her Slam breakthrough, advancing to her first major semifinal at the US Open in 2014. That run helped boost her back in the Top 20 – she reached a career-high No.14 in 2011 – but tennis has an uncanny knack for cruelty. In 2015, Peng underwent major back surgery after the French Open last year, a decision to took because she hoped to prolong her career, because despite her legacy as one of the best players China has ever produced, Peng wasn’t done yet.

“The doctors told me I should think twice before taking this operation and surgery,” Peng said. “They said no one can make sure that the operation could be successful, 100%. The doctors performed this operation on me and told me there was a 50% possibility I could come back to the court. Before the surgery, the question was whether I could come back to the court or not. So maybe after this surgery my performance will not be very good. Before and after the surgery, the difference, the gap, was huge.

“After the surgery, I needed to do a lot of training and practicing. Something I could do in the past, maybe I could not do it today after the surgery. I need to take gradual steps to improve myself after the surgery. I think more important for me is to stay healthy and fit, otherwise I cannot continue my professional career.”

Peng’s ranking fell to as low as No.768 this season; the comeback has been slow and painful. During the off-season training block she had to lie in bed for three days after training because of the pain. She rushed her return in order to represent China at the Olympic tennis event in Rio but everything began to come together during the Asian Swing.

She beat Venus Williams at the China Open in front of a raucous home crowd and now, returning to her home in Tianjin, she swept both the singles and doubles title with Christina McHale. The win puts her ranking at No.108, and if she can move up a few more spots before year’s end she could earn direct entry into the main draw at the Australian Open.

“For me, two years ago, I was at a peak level,” Peng said at the China Open. “I could choose whether I would like to play or not. Actually, my friends and family did not agree with my surgery, because it’s too risky. Now I’m near 30 years old. After the surgery, no one could guarantee I could come back to the court. What if I have more injuries if I come back to the court? I’d like to thank them for their support and care. I am a little bit stubborn to have the surgery. My friends and family supported me to undergo this surgery. It was quite a challenge for me.

“Actually, life is full of challenges and uncertainties. This challenge is quite unique for me. I’ve made efforts in the tennis world for more than two decades. I sacrificed a lot of youth, time and energy. I’d like to take time to see if I can go further or not. Of course, if I retire, maybe I will live a normal life like others. I may have a family, babies. It’s another way of life. But I’m still happy that I made that choice.

“In retrospect, everything is on the right way. I don’t know whether I can come back to my past glory or peak. I believe I have so many supporters, and my team. I would like to sacrifice more. My goal is clear: to play more matches, be it singles or doubles. The key is to come back to the court. I feel excited about it. No other thoughts.

“When my ranking was high, I felt huge pressure. I still need to take care of other stuff, although right now I’m at the bottom level, my friends and family are still there to support me. I can look at the results in this cool-headed way.

Peng is one of a significant group of Chinese players who hail from Tianjin. In addition to Peng, China’s current Top 4 all call Tianjin home: Zhang Shuai, Zheng Saisai, Wang Qiang, and Duan Ying-Ying. The player cite Tianjin’s flexible tennis system, which allows players to go at their own pace and ambition, as the reason for their superior recruitment and retention of top talent.

With Peng finally earning the WTA title that long eluded her, the Tianjin Open get the fairytale ending it deserved.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.