Tennis News

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

Caroline Wozniacki’s excellent run of form continued as she overcame Madison Brengle 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open.

The Dane, who has lost just three matches since the US Open and won the Toray Pan Pacific Open and the Hong Kong Open in recent months, suffered a slow start to the match, dropping serve in the opening game.

However, Brengle’s lead was short-lived, with Wozniacki finding her range and winning six games in a row to take the set. She carried her good form into the second set, skipping into a 5-0 lead and though she dropped serve and was unable to complete the bagel, she recovered to book her place in the next round.

Top seed Petra Kvitova also cruised through her opening encounter, beating Su-Wei Hsieh 7-5, 6-0.

The two-time Wimbledon champion went ahead early, breaking the World No.81 in her second game but she was unable to consolidate her advantage. Hsieh had the chance to serve for the set at 5-4, but was broken to love and lost serve again when trying to force a tiebreak.

From then on, Kvitova was well on top and did not lose a single game in the second set.

Kristyna Pliskova had to battle from a set behind to beat Oceane Dodin 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The Czech broke in the opening game of the match but her advantage was short-lived as she saved seven break points before eventually succumbing to the pressure on the eighth. Dodin subsequently broke to love to move ahead and was able to serve out the set.

In a tight second set, Pliskova eventually went ahead in the penultimate game and held her nerve to level the match. After being broken in the first game of the decider, Dodin failed to get back on level terms and exited the tournament.

Meanwhile, Misaki Doi’s defence of her Luxembourg title came to a premature end at the hands of American qualifier Lauren Davis, who emerged with a highly creditable 6-1, 6-2 victory.

The No.6 seed never found her feet and slipped to a 4-0 deficit before she won her only game of the first set.

She began the second in better form, moving a break up in the first game but she soon four successive games. Davis made no mistake from there and the World No.85 emerged from the match with a famous scalp.

Kiki Bertens had no such problems in progressing, though she had to overcome a plucky Annika Beck to secure her 6-4, 6-4 victory.

The Dutchwoman had led 5-2 and seemed to be cruising in the first set but the German got back on terms, only to lose her serve once more. Bertens let a break slip again in the second set but, with Beck serving to stay in the match, the No.3 seed broke to book her place in the second round.

Meanwhile, Mona Barthel cruised past Carina Witthoeft 6-1, 6-4, Johanna Larsson brushed Pauline Parmentier aside 6-4, 6-2, Tereza Smitkova defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-3 and Andrea Petkovic survived a scare to defeat Mandy Minella 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Learning to peak at the right times is skill that takes years to learn in tennis. Garbiñe Muguruza has already shown she’s light years ahead of schedule. The 23-year-old Spaniard earned her reputation as a big stage player last season when she made her first major final at Wimbledon — on her worst surface, no less — and then proceeded to roll through the Asian swing to win her biggest title at the China Open, and back it up with an undefeated run through group play at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, to make the semifinals in her tournament debut.

“I think the important tournaments are the ones you’ve got to play well, the ones that really count, the ones that really take you to the top level,” Muguruza said. “Last year I’m like, Well, I did a final in Grand Slam; I won the China Open. But they’re important, so that means a lot of points and a lot of to the top level.”

This season she did one better.

Muguruza’s dominating two weeks in Paris was the definition of “peak”. After overcoming a few nerves in the first set of her first match, she would reel off 14 consecutive sets, including a 7-5, 6-4 win over then-No.1 Serena Williams in the final, to win her first major title at Roland Garros. This was the type of run you dream about as a kid, tennis’ equivalent of the 10-year-old hitting imaginary buzzer-beating three-point shots at the playground.

After hitting pitch-perfect lob winner on Championship Point, not even Muguruza could believe it. “Did I win Roland Garros?” she said, recounting her unbelievable shot on match point. “What happened? When [the umpire] said, ‘Game, set, and match’, I was like, ‘No way. I won.’ It was amazing.”

Muguruza’s Parisian fortnight launched her to a career-high No.2 and cemented her ability to beat anyone on any given day. The affable Muguruza will be the first to admit her season had its ups and downs. Outside of Roland Garros she struggled with her consistency throughout the season — Paris was her first and only final of the season — though the signs were there during the clay season that something special was in the works. Two weeks before the French Open, Muguruza earned her best result at the time, making the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, where she lost to Madison Keys.

“I just have a very aggressive game. I go for my shots with no regrets, even if I play to the fence,” Muguruza said.

It’s a strategy that can win Slams, and yes, the plural is intentional. One need to look no further than two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who’s game is also built on a high-risk, high-reward mentality. But Muguruza’s game is also built for all surfaces, fast and slow alike. Her CV has proved it, having won the French Open, made the final at Wimbledon, and making the semifinals in Singapore last year. The slower courts, as is the one laid down at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, may suit her the best, as she has the time she needs to set up her powerful groundstrokes as well as attack the net (Muguruza made the doubles final in Singapore last year with Carla Suárez Navarro).

That is what makes Muguruza an exciting young player. She may have become the youngest player since Victoria Azarenka to win a major title, but she’s still a work in progress. Her potential for growth and improvement is vast, which means she’s a massive threat every time she takes the court.

“I feel nothing can be sad this year after winning a Grand Slam,” Muguruza said last month at the Wuhan Open. “No matter what happens for me, is an incredible year already.”

Photos courtesy of Getty Images