Indian Wells: Kasatkina vs. Hantuchova
Daria Kasatkina takes on Daniela Hantuchova in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Daria Kasatkina takes on Daniela Hantuchova in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Coupe Banque Nationale champion Oceane Dodin became the latest teenager to make her Top 100 debut in 2016 following her maiden WTA title.
Dodin had won just two main draw matches heading into Québec, but both were at major tournaments over Top 40 players in 2015. The 19-year-old is currently riding a 10 match winning streak on two different surfaces, including five wins to capture an ITF 25K Challenger tournament in Barcelona.
Rising up 39 spots since last week, Dodin currently sits at No.93, and is the sixth youngest woman in the Top 100.
Québec City finalist Lauren Davis also made a big leap, returning to the Top 100 herself with a 21-spot jump to become the new World No.83 after making her second WTA final in as many months.
Who else made major moves? Find out below and click here to check out the full WTA rankings.
#WTA Ranking Movers
Zhang +9 (49 to 40)
McHale +11 (53 to 42)
Siniakova +12 (65 to 53)
Davis +21 (104 to 83)
Dodin +39 (132 to 93)— WTA (@WTA) September 19, 2016
It’s International Women’s Day – and WTA players are calling on women around the world to Be Bold For Change.
An interview with Petra Kvitova after her win in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Kirsten Flipkens takes on CiCi Bellis in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Agnieszka Radwanska has Friday’s shot of the day at the BNP Paribas Open.
TOKYO, Japan – Former champion Caroline Wozniacki required nearly three hours to see off No.4 seed Carla Suárez Navarro in the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Wednesday.
Watch live action from Tokyo this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
For the first hour and a half of an absorbing contest, Wozniacki seemed on course for a relatively straightforward victory. However, just as she had 24 hours earlier against Belinda Bencic, the Dane was forced to overcome a mid-match hiccup before eventually triumphing 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4.
“This was such a tough match, we played for such a long time and we really both deserve to be here as winners as the standard was very high,” Wozniacki said. “Luckily I’m the one here and I’m happy to get through.”
Suárez Navarro looked to have turned the match in her favor when she reeled off four straight games to pinch the second set. However, the match took another twist at the start of the third set, a sudden rain delay stopping the Spaniard in her tracks.
On the resumption, Wozniacki reasserted her dominance to build an ultimately decisive lead. “I won the next three games after the rain and managed to regroup. She was on a bit of a roll so it came at a good time.”
Wozniacki, who went all the way to the title in 2010, will meet either Yulia Putintseva or Magda Linette in the quarterfinals.
More to follow…
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Monica Puig dropped just two games against American wildcard Danielle Collins on her way to the second round at the BNP Paribas Open.
Puig put together a dominant performance against Collins to advance 6-0, 6-2 after just under an hour and ten minutes.
“I always like playing on center stage, I guess it’s where I feel most comfortable,” Puig said in her post-match interview. “I’m always happy to play in Indian Wells, it’s one of my favorite tournaments.”
It was a different story for Collins, who was playing in just her third main draw match of her career. She found herself outhit and out of her depth as she fell to the Olympic champion.
The 23-year-old American – a two-time NCAA singles winner at the University of Virginia – showed flashes of promise against Puig as she targeted the Puerto Rican’s backhand high over her shoulder. But she allowed Puig to dictate the pace and dominate the rallies.
.@MonicaAce93 cruises past Collins 6-0, 6-2!
Plays @KaPliskova next in @BNPPARIBASOPEN Second round! pic.twitter.com/nUyuWZWBq7
— WTA (@WTA) March 9, 2017
After being shut out of the first set after just 24 minutes, Collins rallied back to earn a confidence-boosting first break of the match to start the second set. But the joy was short lived as Puig came roaring back, grabbing the break right back to level the score before reeling off the last four games in a row for a spot in the second round.
“You never know what to expect – I used to play against [Collins] when I was like, ten years old. I haven’t played her in a few years so I needed some time to feel her out a bit. I found my groove and finished off strong,” Puig said.
Waiting in the second round is No.3 seed Karolina Pliskova – it was originally Serena Williams before she announced her withdrawal from the tournament and caused a reshuffling of seeds. Puig trails the Czech 0-3 in the pair’s win-loss record.
“For me it’s not really a huge change,” Puig said of having to play Pliskova instead of Serena. “I was already waiting on a difficult opponent if I made it to the second round, and I still got a difficult opponent in the second round.
“It doesn’t really change much; I’m familiar with Pliskova and I’ve played her a few times. Lost a few times, too. She’s near the top of the game right now because she’s an amazing player.”
Denisa Allertova takes on Angelique Kerber in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.
SEOUL, South Korea – Kirsten Flipkens has hit her share of hot shots in the past; her tweener at the Connecticut Open was part of August’s Shot of the Month.
But the Belgian upped her flair and brought it to the Asian Swing; after a long rally with Dalian champion Kristyna Pliskova, Flipkens turned the tables on Karolina Pliskova’s twin sister with a behind-the-back backhand passing shot.
She went on to win the match, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
Check out the video right here on wtatennis.com!