Kaohsiung: Tuesday Highlights
Highlights from the first round action at the Taiwan Open.
Highlights from the first round action at the Taiwan Open.
Simona Halep takes on Daria Gavrilova in the third round of the Western & Southern Open.
Roberta Vinci takes on Yanina Wickmayer in the second round at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
An interview with Karolina Pliskova after her win in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – It was a photo finish in the second round of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, but Dominika Cibulkova had an extra gear against former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, dispatching her rival, 6-4, 7-5.
Watch live action from St. Petersburg & Kaohsiung this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
The Slovak unleashed her signature aggressive style for most of the match, hitting 36 winners to 26 errors throughout the nearly two-hour match, but Wozniacki wasn’t far behind with 19 winners to 21 errors, working her way back into the second set from 3-5 down and saving three match points before Cibulkova was able to close it out on serve.
“I think it was a really great match,” the 2014 Australian Open finalist told former WTA star turned on-court interviewer Ksenia Pervak. “It’s always tough to play Caroline. Today, I played really well; I was really aggressive even though I made some mistakes, I was really confident. I knew it was the only way I could beat her.
“In the end, I started having a problem with my arm, but it turned out really well, so I’m proud of how I stayed really tough mentally.”
The two have played since their junior days, with Wozniacki coming into the match with a 9-3 head-to-head advantage in WTA matches, but three out of their last four matches had gone the distance, including Cibulkova’s win over then-No.1 Wozniacki in the fourth round of Wimbledon back in 2011.
“The tactic was always the same against Caroline: be as aggressive as I can and go for my shots. She gets back so many balls and is waiting for your mistake; if you play shorter, she’s going for it. I had to be aggressive every single point, no matter the score.
“That’s what I did and that’s why I won.”
Up next for the former World No.10 is rising Russian Daria Kasatkina; the teenager reached another WTA quarterfinal when she eliminated lucky loser Laura Siegemund, 6-3, 6-4.
“I never saw her play, so it’s going to be another tough round. I’m just going to be focused and ready, and I’m just going to hope for another match like this.”
Earlier in the day, Timea Babos upset No.9 seed Monica Niculescu, recovering from a set down to win, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, while qualifier Kateryna Kozlova continued her dream run into the quarterfinals with another three-set win over wildcard Elena Vesnina, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The final match of the day was centered around home favorite and No.5 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, survived a tough second set to beat German youngster Carina Witthoeft, 6-1, 7-5.
Garbiñe Muguruza takes on Timea Babos in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open.
Four countries fight for two spots in the 2017 Fed Cup Final this weekend as Belarus hosts Switzerland, which looks to make its first final in nearly two decades. Half a world away in Florida, the United States finds itself heavily favored against a Czech Republic squad. wtatennis.com previews the semifinals, and all the playoff action as nations look to seal up their positions for 2018.
The #FedCup semifinals are just 2️⃣ days away! Time to get excited! pic.twitter.com/YsLasbpAfb
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 20, 2017
Belarus vs. Switzerland
Venue: Chizhovka Arena, Minsk, Belarus
Surface: Hard, Indoor
A Swiss squad at full strength will take on the Cinderella story of this year’s Fed Cup in Minsk for a place in November’s Fed Cup final.
Belarus, without the services of Victoria Azarenka, pulled off a stunning victory against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in February, as Aliaksandra Sasnovich and teenager Aryna Sabalenka led the red and green to a 4-1 victory. Those two will be tasked with singles action once again, as Sasnovich is slated to play Viktorija Golubic for the second time in three weeks first up on Saturday, while Sabalenka will face Timea Bacsinszky.
?? Belarus and ?? Switzerland meet in this weekend's semifinal, but who will advance to the #FedCupFinal? pic.twitter.com/Sq10xgC1M5
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 20, 2017
Should the tie come down to the deciding doubles, Olga Govortsova and 2016 Australian Open girls’ champion Vera Lapko have been tabbed to face Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic. With a victory, Hingis would appear in a Fed Cup Final for the second time in her career, as she played three rubbers in Switzerland’s 3-2 defeat to Spain in 1998.
Thank you @belarustennis for this beautiful evening! #official #evening @FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/6nIR3VBG5D
— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) April 20, 2017
Belarus and Switzerland last faced off in the World Group II Play-offs in 2012, as Bacsinszky won the deciding rubber against Sasnovich in her team’s 4-1 win.
R1: Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Viktorija Golubic (SUI)
R2: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)
R3: Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)
R4: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Viktorija Golubic (SUI)
R5: Olga Govortsova/Vera Lapko (BLR) v Belinda Bencic/Martina Hingis (SUI)
Though she’s not on the court for her country in this tie, Azarenka has been present at the Chizhovka Arena during practice in support of the team, and will be on hand for the weekend’s action.
Former #1 in @FedCup team of Belarus @vika7 and acting #1 @_Sasnovich 🙂 Наша гордость – наши спортсменки!#tennisby #FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/9BnQeNjMV1
— BY.TENNIS (@belarustennis) April 20, 2017
Happy to see each other again? @BelindaBencic @TimeaOfficial @vika7 @belarustennis @FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/bHJSOnJn2X
— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) April 20, 2017
Czech Republic vs. USA
Venue: Saddlebrook Resort, Florida, USA
Surface: Clay, Outdoor
It’s not often that the Czech Republic and “underdogs” can be used in the same sentence regarding Fed Cup this decade,
While the Czech Republic has won five of the last five six Fed Cups, the team that’ll face the United States in Florida with a trip to a fourth straight final at stake is a young one. Leading the charge for the Czech Republic is World No.38 Katerina Siniakova, joined by Denisa Allertova alongside debutants Kristyna Pliskova and Marketa Vondrousova.
The best nation in #FedCup history takes on the best nation in the last decade when ?? USA and ?? Czech Republic face off in the semifinal! pic.twitter.com/7pTyv70HX5
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 21, 2017
Both Siniakova and Allertova have been named to Czech Fed Cup squads before, while Pliskova and Vondrousova have Fed Cup experience of a different sort. The 17-year-old, who made a stunning run to the title at the Ladies Open Biel Bienne earlier this month, was a member of the team that won the Junior Fed Cup in 2015, while Kristyna called up a team stalwart for a little advice — twin sister and World No.3 Karolina, who’s played in six ties for their country.
“Of course, she told me a lot and I asked a lot of questions,” Kristyna told fedcup.com’s Sandra Harwitt in Florida. “I asked about everything – clothes, the matches, and how is the team.”
For the United States, Australian Open semifinalist Coco Vandeweghe will lead the Americans at home for the second straight tie alongside Shelby Rogers, while World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands will hold down the fort in doubles alongside Lauren Davis for the stars and stripes should the tie feature a live fifth rubber.
How well do the ?? USA #FedCup team know each other?? ? pic.twitter.com/VgEpgCiD3F
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 21, 2017
R1: CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) v Marketa Vondrusova (CZE)
R2: Shelby Rogers (USA) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
R3: CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
R4: Shelby Rogers (USA) v Marketa Vondrusova (CZE)
R5: Lauren Davis and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v Denisa Allertova and Kristyna Pliskova (CZE)
In the World Group Play-offs, Angelique Kerber returns to Fed Cup after missing February’s tie against the United States to lead Germany against Ukraine in what could be the most evenly-poised tie of the weekend. Kerber and Julia Goerges have been tabbed in singles against Elina Svitolina and Lesia Tsurenko in Stuttgart in a tie that could come down to the deciding doubles rubber of Laura Siegemund and Carina Witthoeft against Olga Savchuk and Nadiia Kichenok.
Elsewhere, France hosts Spain as Kristina Mladenovic takes her place as France’s No.1 in her top 20 season, while Russia fields three WTA title-winners (Elena Vesnina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Daria Kasatkina) at home against Belgium. Wrapping up the World Group Play-offs, Slovakia and the Netherlands will meet for the second straight year, as the Slovaks will rely on the youth of Jana Cepelova and Rebecca Sramkova in singles play.
Eight countries will also compete in the World Group II Play-offs, as Sara Errani leads a young Italian team against Chinese Taipei; Australia travels to Serbia; Simona Halep and Romania hosts Johanna Konta and Great Britain in an anticipated tie; and Yulia Putintseva and Yaroslava Shvedova look to lead Kazakhstan to uncharted territory for 2018 in Canada.
The stars of the WTA are about to descend on the luxurious, modern city of Dubai for the 2016 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Dubai has been a favorite tour stop since it became a joint event in 2001 and this year’s event will feature World No.1 Serena Williams along with defending champion Simona Halep, 2013 champion Petra Kvitova and our guest contributor, Ana Ivanovic. The WTA Travel Guide is here to tell you everything you need to know about visiting the City of Gold.
WATCH THE MATCHES
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre is host to the two-time winner of the WTA Premier Tournament of the Year award, with the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium serving as center stage for the matchups of some of the WTA’s best. Tickets are available here. Main draw begins February 15 and runs through February 20, with qualifying taking place February 13 and February 14.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Official Homepage
WHERE TO STAY
If you’re looking for a place to stay while in Dubai, it doesn’t get more convenient than the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, which is located adjacent to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre and minutes away from the Dubai International Airport. A 5-star resort, with 292 rooms, the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel features two outdoor pools, fitness facilities, two restaurants, two bars, a lounge and a healthy café. You’ll also be able to unwind at the Akuru Spa, or if you were inspired by watching the WTA matches, head to one of the four tennis courts to work on your game.
Jumeirah Hotels
WHERE TO EAT
For a good meal after taking in a day of matches, head over to the Century Village for a beautiful al fresco dining experience and 10 different world cuisines to sample from including Lebanese, Italian, Portuguese, French and more. Also within walking distance from the courts is Irish Village, offering a true Irish experience in the heart of Dubai.
Restaurants in Jumeirah Creekside Hotel
ANA IVANOVIC’S FAVORITE SPOTS
“I always look forward to coming back to Dubai. Not only is the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships one of my favorite events on tour, but also the city itself has so much to offer. Here are my favorite spots:
Dubai Miracle Gardens is perfect for an afternoon stroll amongst the beautiful flower arrangements. Take a drive down Sheikh Zayed Road for the quintessential Dubai drive and a chance to see all of the iconic architecture along the way.
Luckily for me, one of my favorite restaurants in the world is located in Dubai. Head to Nobu for incredible Japanese food (like this sushi I had last time I was there)! Other favorite restaurants of mine include La Serre, Cle and Armani Italian. And, no trip to Dubai would be complete without some world-class shopping at the Dubai Mall.”
Visit Dubai
Dubai Duty Free
Highlights from quarterfinal action at the Western & Southern Open.
World No.1 Angelique Kerber led Germany to a 2-0 lead at the Porsche Arena – catch up with all the World Group Play-off action from Saturday’s Fed Cup play.