WTA Stars Make Their Oscar Picks
Check out the top seeds making their Oscar picks at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Check out the top seeds making their Oscar picks at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
An interview with Eugenie Bouchard before the start of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.
Top 20 players’ schedules, upcoming tournaments, birthdays and more – check out what’s on tap for this week on the WTA as the tour stops in Acapulco and Kuala Lumpur.
Duan Ying-Ying had Thursday’s shot of the day at the Alya WTA Malaysian Open.
ACAPULCO, Mexico – No.2 seed Kristina Mladenovic needed three sets and over three and a half hours but she’s through to the quarterfinals at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel after a marathon battle against Heather Watson, 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-5.
The epic, three-hour-and-thirty-two minute encounter clocks in as the longest WTA match of the season so far; only Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic’s Australian Open battle was longer at three hours and thirty-six minutes.
“Oh my god, what can I even say,” an exhausted Mladenovic told wtatennis.com after the match. “The conditions here were very difficult – the humidity is ridiculous and I think we both struggled physically.”
Monster forehand from @KiKiMladenovic! ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/kfRQX5NZhw
— WTA (@WTA) March 2, 2017
The blistering conditions in southern Mexico were heating up even more on Grandstand Caliente, with Mladenovic employing her doubles prowess to attack at the net and Heather staying solid from the baseline. The Frenchwoman struggled with her throughout the match, racking up nine double faults in the first set alone – she would hit 20 in total.
There were several twists and turns as both players struggled to establish momentum; Watson started off with a strong trio of breaks to give herself a 4-1 lead, before Mladenovic reeled off four games in a row to rip it away. Mladenovic edged through in the tiebreak, winning four points on the bounce from 4-4 to take the opening set.
The pair traded breaks twice in the second set, with Watson holding her nerve to break back each time as Mladenovic continued to apply all-court pressure, but the Brit relied on her down-the-line backhands to see her through in the second tiebreak.
Watson showed her grit to bat away two of Mladenovic’ match points at 5-3 in the third with a stinging, crosscourt backhand, before another double fault from the Frenchwomen gave her the break back. After managing to level the score at 5-5, Watson seemed to run out of steam, winning just three points in the next two games as Mladenovic closed out the match.
3 hours and 31 minutes!@KiKiMladenovic battles past Watson 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-5 for a spot in @AbiertoTelcel Quarterfinals! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/uSgCvrlr0j
— WTA (@WTA) March 2, 2017
Despite Watson’s 59 winners to 29 unforced errors against Mladenovic’s 22 and 23, it was Mladenovic who proved more solid in the big moments, creating and converting more break opportunities.
“These kind of matches, I’m not really satisfied with the way I played – I’m not sure it was really the best quality tennis – but I’m actually very satisfied with the fighting,” Mladenovic explained.
“We both of us, we never gave up. It was up and down; I was down big time in the first set and I came back and won it. I also had match points in the end and she saved them, actually beautifully, and she came back.
“That was just grit. A mental battle. I’m just satisfied and proud to pull this one through.”
Mladenovic will be right back on Grandstand Caliente tomorrow to take on Kirsten Flipkens for a spot in the Acapulco semifinals. The Belgian advanced after Ajla Tomljanovic was forced to retire from their match due to a right shoulder injury.
Tired @KiKiMladenovic? ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/Mc7tcHs6G2
— WTA (@WTA) March 2, 2017
Nicole Gibbs took some extra special friends along – including NFL pros Cameron Fleming and Shayne Skov – for some cliff diving and boat riding during her week in Acapulco.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Ashleigh Barty cruised into the semifinals of the Alya Malaysian Open after defeating Zhang Kai-Lin in straight sets, winning 6-0, 7-6(2).
Barty, who defeated fellow qualifier Maya Kato in the previous round, flew through the opening set 6-0 but was pushed closer in the second before winning the breaker 7-2.
“It wasn’t a breeze at all,” said the Australian afterwards. “I think I started well and I served particularly well at the start. I was able to get that early jump and get some early momentum but it didn’t matter what the score was in the first set, Kai-Lin’s a quality player, she really is, and I knew that second set was going to be a battle no matter what.”
.@AshBar96 reaches first #WTA Semifinal at @alyawtamo!
Downs Zhang 6-0, 7-6 (2)! pic.twitter.com/AEF2YWfvjW
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
Zhang actually had the chance to serve for the second set before the match went to the breaker.
“I played a pretty poor game at 5-5,” added Barty. “But I was just happy to break straight back and move on and then play a quality tiebreak as well. Now I’m excited to be in my first semifinal and we just have to chip away throughout the year and hope the good results will come.”
Victory for Barty sets up a semifinal showdown with Han Xinyun, who came out on top of the battle of the Chinese, beating Wang Qiang 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4.
With the match evenly balanced at a set apiece, Wang recovered from a break down in the decider, winning three games on the spin to level at 4-4 before Han took the final two games to secure victory.
“The first set was really hot and the sun almost killed me!” said Han afterwards. “Into the second set I tried to stay aggressive and positive and could feel that she tired and in the third set we both tried really hard but I really played my tennis in the last two games. I made a really good winner and put a lot of pressure on her. I was 0-40 in the last game but I never gave up.”
“I like her so much because she is so talented,” said Han of her semifinal opponent. “She’s played really good tennis this week and I’m so excited to play her tomorrow so I hope it’s going to be a good match.”
Han is yet to win a WTA title and, like Barty, this run for the world no.139 represents her best to date .
SINGAPORE – Friday marks 100 days until the start of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and following an exciting, unpredictable and historic first half of the season all is still to play for.
The Road To Singapore leaderboard has started to take shape, with faces fresh and familiar occupying, while defending doubles champions Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza became the first to book their place at the season-ending finale.
At present Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza, Serena Williams, the winners of 2016’s first three Grand Slams, and Victoria Azarenka, who competed the rare Indian Wells-Miami double, are the mid-season pacesetters on the leaderboard. However, with defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska and the in-form Dominika Cibulkova among those in pursuit, there will be plenty of jostling for position as the tour heads for the hardcourts of North America.
“It has been a truly exciting year for women’s tennis and as we mark 100 days out from the WTA Finals, we have seen different champions crowned at each of the first three Grand Slams this year. The Road to Singapore has never been more thrilling and this is testament to the current depth of the women’s game, as we look to the future of outstanding players rising up the ranks,” said Melissa Pine, Vice-President of WTA Asia-Pacific and Tournament Director of the WTA Finals.
Hingis and Mirza are not the only big names to confirm their place in Singapore: former champion Chris Evert will return as official event ambassador for the third consecutive year. In her role, Evert will work with players and other ambassadors including Martina Navratilova and Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario to promote and raise the profile of the event and the sport in the region.
“As WTA Finals ambassador for the past couple of years, I’ve seen the event grow, and with it, the popularity of tennis in the region,” Evert said of her role. “This has been a great year for women’s tennis and there is so much to look forward to in the coming months on the Road to Singapore as we head towards the big finale. The strength and level of competition have been simply amazing, and I’m looking forward to an exciting eight days of tennis in October!”
This has not been the only off-court development either. To coincide with the 100-days countdown, the second phase of ticket sales was launched, opening up single-session tickets to all matches, including the semifinals and final. Admission to single sessions will range from $16 to $226, and can be purchased on WTAFinals.com.
Australia’s Ashleigh Barty took on Japan’s Nao Hibino in the final of the ALYA Malaysian Open.
Lesia Tsurenko came to the Abierto Mexicano Telcel on a mission after a tough loss at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The No.7 seed ended up rolling to her third career title in Acapulco, dismissing February favorite Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets to return to the Top 50 ahead of the BNP Paribas Open, one of her favorite tournaments.
WTA Insider caught up with the Ukrainian after her on-court fiesta to discuss the key to her confidence, her work with a new fitness coach, and how she hopes to hold onto that sombrero given to her during the trophy ceremony.
WTA Insider: I have to start with this: was this your first time wearing a sombrero?
Tsurenko: It was, but that’s because it was my first time winning a title in Mexico! Wearing a sombrero will always be something special for me and I’m glad this was the first time.
WTA Insider: In such a tense second set, what was going through your mind at 4-5 when you were serving to stay in it after all those breaks?
Tsurenko: I think I played really well in the first set, and I felt very confident. In the second, she changed her game a little bit and she started to play more aggressively. I was also getting more nervous because I felt this title was getting closer to me. The most important game was definitely on my serve at 4-5, and I was really happy to hold on. I felt like I could finish that match there.
WTA Insider: Kiki’s had such a good couple of weeks, but you’d beaten her three times before; what is your mindset going in against that type of player?
Tsurenko: I’ve beaten her before, but I also lost to her in Dubai last year. I know how she plays pretty well; she’s got a good serve and forehand. I was trying to focus on the way that I play and on my shots. I think that works well for me because it’s just you on your side of the court, and it makes me more nervous to start thinking about the opponent. Just hit the ball and do your shots; that’s the key, and then just fight for every point.
WTA Insider: You’ve had some tough draws to start the season – playing Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open and Peng Shuai in Dubai. How were you feeling at the start of the week and is this title something of a surprise?
Tsurenko: I was quite disappointed with my disappointment in Dubai, so I was really concentrating here. I really wanted to play well here to show some good tennis after disappointing results in Dubai. That worked really well for me; I was concentrating on each point in every match and it worked well. I’m really happy to get the title.
WTA Insider: You’re a player whose struggled with injuries; when we last spoke, you were dragging around a big ice bag for your knee at the US Open. This week, it was some of your opponents who were having some injury and illness issues. How were you feeling to be on the other end, to be the fitter and healthier player?
Tsurenko: I’ve had quite a few injuries, but I try not to think about those. That’s just how it is and I’m getting fitter and fitter. I’ve been working on my body, and that’s been working well for me, just to feel balanced in every angle of tennis. The beginning of the year was strange for me; I had a virus in Brisbane, and still feeling unwell in Hobart. Everything’s in the past, and I hope to get a lot of confidence from this win.
WTA Insider: You played Acapulco for the first time just a few years ago, and you’ve gone from qualies to being a seed, winning the title. What do you make of how fast some of your improvements have been, winning three titles in the last 18 months?
Tsurenko: I’ve improved my fitness, and I also feel more confident on court, especially with my serve and my groundstrokes. I’m not afraid to make winners and be aggressive. I also feel like I’ve improved my defense; I’m moving well around the court and that gives me some good results.
WTA Insider: Are you a player who feels like they need confidence to be aggressive on the court?
Tsurenko: Fitness is the most important thing for me, because then I feel like I can play without mistakes, and stay on court for a long time. I’m able to stay concentrated in final sets – when I have to play those. For me, fitness is the biggest difference, but I’ve also become more aggressive on my serve and return. These two things are essential in women’s tennis.
.@LTsurenko thanks the @AbiertoTelcel fans for the great support ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/h6lpwtuf4u
— WTA (@WTA) March 5, 2017
WTA Insider: Speaking of fitness, talk a bit about your team; what kind of changes have you made in terms of recovery?
Tsurenko: I’m still working with the same tennis coach for the last four years now. I’m very happy with the results we’ve had together. But I do have a new fitness coach, Denis Vaschuk, who is helping to make my body stronger and more balanced. I think that’s the big advantage for me now, having him on my team. We work when I’m in Ukraine, and I also get some exercises from him even when we’re not traveling together. We keep in touch and that makes me feel even more confident in my fitness and movement.
WTA Insider: Up next for you is the BNP Paribas Open, where you’ve played some pretty epic matches over the last couple years. What do you like about that tournament and what are you looking forward to most over the next two weeks?
Tsurenko: First of all, I like hardcourts in general, and I really enjoy the tournament in Indian Wells. I like the atmosphere there, and I think the surface suits me well; it’s not too fast, so I can show everything that I can do on the court. I like the conditions, and the improvements they make every year; they make the tournament so comfortable for players. I’m really excited to go there now because I know they’ve been making even more renovations. I hope to get there Sunday so I can see everything.
WTA Insider: What is the one big memory or big moment you’ll take away from this week?
Tsurenko: The sombrero! I don’t know if they’ll let me keep it, but for sure, I’m going to get some nice photos and some good memories.
Love the Sombrero!
Congrats @LTsurenko, lift that @AbiertoTelcel trophy ? pic.twitter.com/JEGRbw7xAW
— WTA (@WTA) March 5, 2017