The 2016 Race To Singapore Is On!
The race is on! There are only eight spots available at the WTA Finals and every match, every game, every point, matters. Follow the 2016 Road To Singapore right here!
The race is on! There are only eight spots available at the WTA Finals and every match, every game, every point, matters. Follow the 2016 Road To Singapore right here!
Karolina Pliskova takes on Garbiñe Muguruza in the semifinal of the Western & Southern Open.
ZHENGZHOU, China – No.2 seed Wang Qiang earned her first WTA 125K Series title at the Biyuan Cup Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open at top seed Peng Shuai was forced to retire in the deciding set with the match standing at 3-6, 7-6(3), 1-1.
“I entered this tournament as the second seed, so there was an opportunity for me to win the title,” Wang said post-match. “I almost got knocked out in the second round. At that time, I didn’t feel as confident as I am today. I’m not quite sure what happened in the second set, but I tried to stay focused and play my game, not making too many mistakes. I knew that she would go for it whenever she had the chance.”
Peng led the match 6-3, 3-0 and served for the match, but surrendered the deciding tiebreak and could no longer play on after two hours, 15 minutes. Wang’s victory levels the head-to-head between the pair to 1-1.
It was a Chinese sweep for the home crowd as in the doubles final, Han Xinyun and Lin Zhu claimed the crown over Jacqueline Cako and Julia Glushko, 7-5, 6-1.
“We didn’t play each other before, so the only thing we could do was stick to the plan,” the pair said post-match. “The second set became easier as we found our rhythm. We were more powerful than our opponents from the baseline, and we had a better serve.”
All photos courtesy of the Biyuan Cup Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open.
An interview with Angelique Kerber after her loss in the final round of the Western & Southern Open.
NEW HAVEN, CT, USA – It was more complicated than Petra Kvitova would have liked, but the three-time Connecticut Open champion came back from a set down to advance against Louisa Chirico, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
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“Luckily I turned it around, it was a difficult match for my first round here after a year,” Kvitova said afterwards.
“I didn’t play Cincinnati and I got sick in Rio, so it was a little bit difficult for me but I’m glad I was able to win it. I really had to fight for every point at the end.”
Chirico, an American qualifier, brought all of the powerful game that saw her make a breakthrough run to reach the semifinals in Madrid earlier this year. Kvitova was struggling to find her timing, and despite earning the first break of the match, she quickly found herself being outhit as Chirico rattled off six straight games to take the opening set.
The defending champion wasn’t too rattled though, as three-set comebacks are what she’s built her “P3tra” reputation on.
“I think that tennis now is very open, and with all the experience I have already, losing the first set doesn’t mean anything to me,” Kvitova said. “Even with the 6-1, which was not easy.”
The Czech’s lefty forehand found its marks and Kvitova broke twice to reel off five straight games of her own and take the second set to restore scoreboard parity, before going on to take the third set.
She needed an hour and thirty-four minutes to complete the turnaround and advance to the second round, improving her impressive Connecticut Open record to 17-2 overall.
Her victory sets up a second-round clash against Eugenie Bouchard, who had a much smoother time against German qualifier Annika Beck. The Canadian dictated play throughout, dragging Beck from line to line and keeping her on the run in the quick 6-2, 6-1 win.
It was the opposite story for four-time Connecticut Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, who took a wildcard into the tournament in a bid to rehab her injury-laden 2016 season. It was her first time playing against Jelena Ostapenko, and the 19-year-old youngster ousted her 7-5, 6-2 on her New Haven debut.
“It wasn’t my best match, but as well you just have to go with it and give her credit where credit is due,” Wozniacki said.
“I think I just haven’t played very much, and just a little bit unlucky as well.”
NEW HAVEN, CT, USA – Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska overcame an early challenge from 19-year-old Jelena Ostapenko to advance in straight sets in her opening match at the Connecticut Open.
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Radwanska took a wild card into the event in search of extra tune-up matches ahead of the US Open, and she was certainly put through her paces against the young Ostapenko.
“I was actually really surprised,” Radwanska said after the match, which was the pair’s first encounter. “She’s really a very smart and solid player. She’s very young and she can already do everything on court. She can play a really good game and for sure she’s gonna be good.”
Ostapenko and Radwanska traded breaks at the start of the match and held level throughout, with Radwanska’s cerebral game matching up against the teenager’s aggressive style. Ostapenko held a set point at 5-4 on Radwanska’s serve in the first set but was unable to convert as her backhand misfired and the unforced error count did her in. The Pole held her serve and won seven games on the trot to take the opening set and a commanding 4-0 lead in the second before easing through 7-5, 6-1.
Now into the quarterfinals, Radwanska is seeking one more win to end a drought dating back to April: the former World No.2 hasn’t reached a semifinal since the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, a streak she’s certainly hoping to snap heading into the US Open.
“I think these kind of matches is always good to have before a Grand Slam,” she said. “It was a great match and I’m really happy I could play my best game. I just hope that I could play the same tennis the next match and be fully prepared for the Grand Slam.”
Radwanska awaits the winner between Caroline Garcia and lucky loser Kirsten Flipkens.
Injuries and withdrawals may have wreaked havoc on the New Haven draw, but Flipkens is one player who’s certainly not complaining. The Belgian was called in at the last minute to replace Lesia Tsurenko, another lucky loser who had to pull out from the main draw with a right knee injury.
“Well, it was a crazy story,” Flipkens said of getting the call to play. “There were so many lucky losers, and I only found out at 12:15 today that I was going to play at two o’clock!”
The Belgian took full advantage of the second chance against Belinda Bencic, defeating the Swiss teenager 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. Bencic served for the match at 5-4 in the third, but Flipkens rallied to win four games in a row and advance.
Along with Radwanska, three other players booked early spots into the New Haven quarterfinals. Ekaterina Makarova grabbed the first quarterfinal berth after a 6-3, 6-2 win over Anastasija Sevastova. Meanwhile, Elena Vesnina booked a clash against the No.10 seed Elina Svitolina. Vesnina made her way to the quarterfinals after Anett Kontaveit retired at 6-4, 1-0, while Svitolina swept past Evgeniya Rodina 6-3, 6-1.
An interview with Petra Kvitova after her win in the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Open.
An interview with Petra Kvitova before her opening round match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Coco Vandeweghe takes on Karolina Pliskova in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Before the US Open gets underway, the WTA stars painted the town red on Thursday night at the Taste of Tennis. Located at the W Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, the game’s biggest names turned out dressed to the nines in support of Wellness in the Schools, a national non-profit that inspires healthy eating and fitness for kids in public schools.
Check out the best photos from the night of tennis and haute cuisine:
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.