World No.1 Kerber Named Among Forbes' 30 Under 30
Angelique Kerber was named among Europe’s 30 Under 30 according to Forbes; how much did the two-time Grand Slam champion earn in her breakthrough 2016 season?
Angelique Kerber was named among Europe’s 30 Under 30 according to Forbes; how much did the two-time Grand Slam champion earn in her breakthrough 2016 season?
MELBOURNE, Australia – Six-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams leads the bottom half of the draw into action on Day Two at Melbourne Park. Dominika Cibulkova and Agnieszka Radwanska are also in action on the last day of Round 1. We preview all the day’s matchups right here at wtatennis.com.
Tuesday, First Round
[2] Serena Williams (USA #2) vs Belinda Bencic (SUI #59)
Head-to-head: Tied at 1-1
Key Stat: 2017 Australian Open marks first Grand Slam where Serena hasn’t been top seed since 2013 Australian Open (No.3)
Belinda Bencic’s reaction to the draw is quite different to how you’d think someone would react when finding out their first-round opponent is six-time champion Serena Williams:
“My first reaction was actually, like, really happy,” Bencic told press ahead of the match. “I’m super-pumped, like excited I get to play on the big court, I guess.
“Yeah, everyone is like, ‘Oh, bad luck with the draw.’ Me, I’m pretty happy and excited about it!”
Bencic has a reason to feel good: back in 2015, she scored the biggest victory of her career over Serena at the Rogers Cup, becoming one of just 3 players to defeat the American that year.
But a lot has changed since in two years, and injury woes have caused the Swiss wunderkind’s ranking to plummet. And Serena – as always – has her eye on making history and reclaiming the No.1 ranking in Melbourne Park.
“All I can do is do my best,” Serena said. “If I can play the way I’ve been practicing, it will be fine. I know she’s been playing well, so it will be good for both of us.”
[3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #3) vs Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL #64)
Head-to-head: Radwanska leads 9-3
Key Stat: Pironkova’s last Top 5 win came over Radwanska in 2016 Roland Garros R16
World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska has many positives to take away from her run to the Apia International Sydney final: before getting thoroughly outclassed in the last match by Johanna Konta, Radwanska hadn’t dropped a set all tournament long and her tricky, deliberate game was flowing freely.
“Of course, losing finals always is disappointing,” Radwanska reflected in pre-tournament press. “But it’s still a good week with great matches against top players.
“I’m very confident. I really hope I can play the same tennis, even the tennis I played in the final. But every tournament is different story, especially in the tough first round.”
After the quick turnaround to Melbourne, Radwanska will bring all of that confidence and preparation against an opponent who has troubled her in the past: Tsvetana Pironkova. The pair have met 12 times previously, with the Bulgarian stunning Radwanska in the fourth round of Roland Garros.
“Pironkova is a very tricky opponent,” she said. “I’m expecting everything from her side. For sure it’s going to be a lot of running. I’m going to really have to work on each point.”
[5] Karolina Pliskova (CZE #6) vs Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP #106)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Sorribes Tormo is playing just the second Grand Slam main draw match of her career
After her dominant performance at the Brisbane International, where she claimed the first title of her season, Karolina Pliskova took two days off before heading straight to Melbourne.
“I’ve been practicing here since Tuesday. Even yesterday,” the Czech said in pre-tournament press. “But I’ve been feeling good so far. I was even ready for Monday start, but will be ready even for Tuesday.
“That’s what I did in New York, as well. So I just did it here. I don’t know if it’s going to work, but I just want to leave everything in this tournament.”
But despite her red-hot start to 2017, Pliskova wouldn’t be drawn into discussing her Australian Open chances – not even on the eve of the tournament after drawing Sara Sorribes Tormo in the opening round.
“I would definitely not take me as a favorite of this tournament. It’s a big draw,” the Czech said in pre-tournament press. “There is a lot of players. I just take it step by step.”
“I just know my opponent from the first round. I want to pass this one. Then we can talk about the next one.”
Her opponent, Sorribes Tormo, is a 20-year-old Spaniard who might be out of her depths against the big-hitting Czech: this will be the just the second Grand Slam main draw match of her career, and her first match against a Top 10 opponent.
Around the grounds…
Reigning WTA Finals champion Dominika Cibulkova will open against No.90-ranked Denisa Allertova on Day 2. The Slovak reached the final here in 2014, and will hope her 2016 momentum will carry her to a maiden Grand Slam title. Britain’s No.1 Johanna Konta will square off against Kirsten Flipkens – Konta leads the head-to-head 2-1.
Anastasija Sevastova takes on Kristina Kucova in the second round of the Australian Open.
After two months of unexpected results, what does it all mean as the tour prepares for the grueling high-stakes tournaments in tennis’ version of March Madness at the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open?
On this episode, WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen and Web Editor David Kane reconvene to discuss the action at the Qatar Total Open in Doha, where Carla Suárez Navarro emerged from the beaten and battered draw to win the biggest title of her career. They also talk about the impressive week from 18-year-old Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, who tore through the Doha draw to make her second WTA final, and have mixed emotions surrounding Agnieszka Radwanska, Garbiñe Muguruza and Andrea Petkovic’s recent results.
Courtney and David also discuss the action at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, where Sloane Stephens and Dominika Cibulkova played one of the best matches of the year in the final, which saw Sloane edge it out to become the first woman to two titles this year.
Kane on Suárez Navarro: “It’s very impressive but I still think there are a lot of questions about what this means for Suarez Navarro in terms of where she goes from here. She ended up having the best week of the top-ranked players but still, when she is in really high pressure situations against the biggest names in tennis, how will she stand up? I think mentally we’ve seen her answer a lot of those questions so far this year alone. Setting goals to be in the Top 10? Check. Top 5? Really close. Of all the players to make New Year’s Resolutions, I think you want to model your New Year’s Resolution game after Suárez Navarro. She’s one of the few big names getting things done in 2016.”
Nguyen on Radwanska: “I’m curious to see what she does in Indian Wells and Miami. Was this just a bad day at the office, a tough turnaround of 24-hours to play that match, or is it more of a sign? Obviously she’s great on hardcourts and is a former champion in Miami. If she can rebound there, then she’s all right. She’s still one of the best players at the start of the season. So maybe it was just a bad day. We’ll see.”
Nguyen on ‘Winning Ugly’: “On some level you wonder if this is a generational thing. If you are younger and you’ve grown up in this era of parity, in this era of everyone’s on upset alert at all times, everyone can pull up an upset at all times, and you’re just used to it, maybe you don’t panic as much because it’s the new normal. It is just what you are to expect in a tennis match.”
Kane on Stephens: “This is the best I’ve seen Sloane Stephens play a match from start to finish. For all the hype and all the prognosticating about the future and the potential of Sloane Stephens we really saw everything from her in this final. We saw the power, we saw the athleticism, most impressively we saw the defense, and more impressively, we saw she did not get down on herself.”
Jelana Jankovic takes on Julia Goerges in the second round of the Australian Open.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – US Open champion Angelique Kerber was back in front of the camera within hours of her second Grand Slam victory. The soon-to-be World No.1 posed for photographer Jen Pottheiser with the trophy in a series of black and white and color photos.
“I’m feeling much for confident now in my skin and how I am,” Kerber told WTA Insider in the latest Champions Corner. “I think it’s because of my experience I know what’s happened, I know how to deal with pressure, how to deal with the things I have to do off court. That’s what gives me the confidence to, you know, dressing up, speaking, working, being how I am.
“Of course it takes a little while to get where I am, and it was really tough but really good.”
Check out the photos below:
All photos courtesy of USTA/Jen Pottheiser.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Angelique Kerber celebreated her 29th birthday with a win, but it was Australia’s comeback kid who stole hearts on Day 3 at the Australian Open.
Here’s what you need to know:
Ashleigh Barty emerges as the feel-good story of the first week.
Mention Ashleigh Barty’s name and you’ll get a big broad smile around these parts. The 20-year-old was a junior Wimbledon champion at 15 years old and a three-time Slam finalist in doubles before she was 18-years-old. But the attention and pressure from being the next great prospect from a tennis nation like Australia proved too much, and she stepped away from the sport at 17. After a brief stint playing professional cricket in Australia, Barty announced her intention to return the sport last February. As Barty put it then, “Tennis in the end, it just makes sense to me.”
Flash-forward 11 months and she’s into the third round of a Slam for the first time in her career. It’s no surprise that it came on home soil.
Gifted with incredible hands and preternatural tennis IQ, Barty returned to the tour with the one thing she lacked in her junior days: power. That power was on full display two weeks ago when she pushed World No.1 Angelique Kerber to three sets at the Brisbane International. On Wednesday night, Barty put on an arguably better performance, hitting just 11 unforced errors to 29 winners to beat No.52 Shelby Rogers 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the third round.
Round ☺️☺️☺️ pic.twitter.com/BrRb3XXz6x
— Ash Barty (@ashbar96) January 18, 2017
“Sometimes those things just click for you,” Barty said. “Tonight I felt great. I felt like I was in control, had full control of the ball off my racquet. It’s certainly nice when those things come together. It feels horrific when it doesn’t.”
Currently ranked No.223, Barty has shown she’s more than ready to eclipse her career-high ranking of No.129. That looks to be coming sooner rather than later, as her two wins in Melbourne have already pushed her up around the Top 150. Barty will play qualifier Mona Barthel, after the German knocked out No.29 seed Monica Puig in straight sets.
Regardless of the outcome, it’s great to have you back, Ash.
I ❤ Ash Barty. So natural. On and off court. Absolute gem. #AusOpen
— judy murray (@JudyMurray) January 18, 2017
Carina Witthoeft gets ahead of herself.
It’s only human. There was Carina Witthoeft, 21 years old, ranked No.82, German. Across the net was Angelique Kerber, 29 years old today (yes, it was her birthday), ranked No.1, German. And there was the scoreboard, which showed Witthoeft, who has recorded just one win over a Top 20 player in her career, up an early break in the decisive set. Was she really about to knock out the World No.1, the German No.1, and end her compatriot’s title defense?
Witthoeft was thinking the same thing. And she went on to lose six of the next seven games, as Kerber scored another resilient win, 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-2.
Plenty of ? on @RodLaverArena as No.1 #Kerber goes into a 3rd set v w/ fellow ??#Witthoeft.
? on the AO Live Blog: https://t.co/XqrMDgBLqQ pic.twitter.com/o8yFEJUSB1— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
“There are a lot of thoughts and sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re worse and they bother you,” Witthoeft said. In the face of Kerber’s unrelenting defense, Witthoeft felt herself pressing, and the errors began to come.
“That’s Angie. If you go for too much the chances are there that you’ll lose the point because she’s running for every ball.”
You gotta Riske it to get the biscuit.
The young American upsets 2016 quarterfinalist Shuai Zhang 7-6(7) 4-6 6-1.#ausopen pic.twitter.com/qks800Ma73
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Keep an eye on Alison Riske.
The American is playing solid, steady tennis to start the season. She beat Agnieszka Radwanska to make the Shenzhen Open final and she’s into the third round of a Slam for the first time since 2014 Wimbledon (in fact, her first round win over Madison Brengle was her first win at a Slam since that same tournament).
She’s into the third round here with a solid 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-1 win over last year’s semifinalist and No.20 seed Zhang Shuai. Asked where she feels her early confidence translating on court, Riske pointed to a sense of calm.
“I think mostly it alleviates panic,” she said. I think in moments that are tough I don’t feel threatened by them. That’s the biggest thing. that’s what the top players do so well in the crucial moments. To get to where they are, that’s the biggest thing. In times of stress they’re able to stay cool and I think that’s the biggest thing for me too.”
Riske was recently engaged, and laughed when asked how the wedding planning was coming. “I’m definitely not planning. My fiance is a little uptight about that, the fact that I’m not planning. But he understands it, his family has been in the tennis business as well. He totally gets it and I’m really fortunate for that. First of all I’m not a party planner. Tennis will be my priority for the next few years so I’m not too worried about it.”
Riske plays Sorana Cirstea in the third round and is looking to make the second week at a Slam for the first time since the 2013 US Open.
#AusOpen Blue Room: Watch Live with @SvetlanaK27 ? https://t.co/Mzyq7LyrCu
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Svetlana Kuznetsova is resting her body, working her mind.
Kuznetsova isn’t playing doubles at the Australian Open, opting to focus on her singles instead. So far so good. She’s cruised into the third round and will face Jelena Jankovic. So with a full day off between matches, is Sveta getting bored? Not at all.
“When I have a day off I go to practice and then I try to read books. I’m reading a book about the history of Egypt and Athens. It’s very interesting. Something different. I want to develop myself not just as an athlete but it helps in the mentality and being a little bit smarter and wiser in life.”
As for Russian literature, “Pushkin, Dostoevsky, of course I read it all, but I can’t say I’m really into it. I believe all Russian poetry you gotta read it and feel it when you’re older. So I’d like to re-read it with time.”
“I just enjoy the game.” Svetlana #Kuznetsova through to 3R #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/TxcfAGlmhz
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Old habits die hard for Sorana Cirstea.
The Romanian is into the third round of a Slam for the first time since 2011 Wimbledon, beating a hampered No.10 seed Carla Suárez Navarro 7-6, 6-3. The Spaniard has been dealing with a right shoulder injury, which forced her to serve at three-quarter speed and struggle with her backhand.
Unfortunately for Cirstea, she won’t be able to celebrate her Melbourne success with her frequent dinner partner of the last few years. Ana Ivanovic was her best friend on tour, but I’m sure she’ll be getting a congratulatory message from England later today.
Asked @sorana_cirstea about her good friend @AnaIvanovic’s decision to retire. Turns out, old habits die hard. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/aSBDSui666
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 18, 2017
Quote of the Day: “She’s No.1 so I guess she’s good.”
So…how many people do you think will get confused and call it a US Open final rematch? Karolina’s twin sister Kristyna Pliskova is into the third round at a Slam for the second time in her career, beating No.27 seed Irina-Camelia Begu 6-4, 7-6(8). Now she gets a crack at the World No.1.
“I never played her but she’s No.1 so I guess she’s good,” Pliskova said, laughing. “We will see on Friday.”
“I like big courts. I play better. I think it’s slower on big courts as well, which I like better.”
So will she get some tips from Karolina, who beat Kerber to win the Western & Southern Open last summer? “She’s off now but I asked her a couple of things. I hope she’s on her phone soon.”
It's #Venus into 3R singles. 1R doubles starts today with sister #Serena #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/FncGAoqXru
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Speed it up!
Venus Williams has played two solid matches to open her tournament, beating Stefanie Voegele 6-3, 6-2. She’ll play Duan Ying-Ying in the third round. After her match, Venus was asked about the speed of Rod Laver Arena and about the perceived preference for slower-paced courts recently.
“It may not be as slow as last year, but I think at the same time when the courts get too slow it creates the same kind of player, people who just never come in,” she said. “So I think the courts have to be not too slow, not too fast. It’s got to be playable. You don’t want every ball to come back. At some point there should be a winner. If you’re hitting through the court and the ball just sits, that’s not tennis. It should go through the court.”
Duan Ying-Ying on the rise.
The 27-year-old from — where else — Tianjin, has been on fire to start the season. Ranked No.87, Duan had match points on Radwanska in Shenzhen, beat CoCo Vandeweghe at the Apia International, and is into the third round of a Slam for the first time of her career. Duan came through a tough match against Varvara Lepchenko, winning 6-1, 3-6, 10-8, scoring her second win over the American this year.
Happy Birthday Angie! #Kerber continues her great run at Melbourne Park #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/T3SEV6DBdq
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Some enticing third-round matches set for the top half.
Here’s the full slate of third-round matches for the top half of the draw:
Kerber vs. Kr. Pliskova, Bouchard vs. Vandeweghe, Cirstea vs. Riske, Sevastova vs. Muguruza, Barty vs. Barthel, Duan vs. Venus, Svitolina vs. Pavlyuchenkova, and Jankovic vs. Kuznetsova.
Based on form and draw, Venus has a great look to make the quarterfinals. She can’t face a Top 80 player before then. The highest-ranked player Muguruza can play before the quarterfinals is Riske at No.42. And keep an eye on Bouchard. She’s playing very well, full of confidence, and she could play the spoiler to Kerber’s title defense.
Day 4 Matches to Watch:
Naomi Osaka vs. Johanna Konta (1st match, Rod Laver Arena)
Serena Williams vs. Lucie Safarova (1st night match, Rod Laver Arena)
Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (1st night match, Margaret Court Arena)
Daria Gavrilova vs. Ana Konjuh (NB 6:30pm, Hisense Arena)
Andrea Petkovic vs. Barbora Strycova (2nd match, Court 3)
#Putintseva celebrating her win. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/9jxSSDCdYs
— Patrick (@RatedRHero) January 17, 2017
And if you know, then you know:
Jelena Ostapenko vs. Yulia Putintseva (1st match, Court 8)
MONTERREY, Mexico – Heather Watson grabbed her spot in the finals of the Abierto Monterrey Afirme after dispatching an ailing Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-2.
Watch live action from Monterrey & Kuala Lumpur this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Watson came roaring out of the gates, finding her zone right away and quickly putting Garcia in a familiar bind. The Frenchwoman was down 4-1 in the first set just as she’d been in yesterday’s quarterfinal against Pauline Parmentier, but this time she wasn’t able to bounce back, her usually agile movements hampered by a lower back injury.
“I was very happy with how I played today but obviously Caroline was hurting today,” Watson said after their match. “I hope she gets better soon, hope it’s nothing too serious.”
After the Brit grabbed the first set in a dominant 27 minutes, Garcia took an emotional medical time out before starting the next set. Despite Garcia returning to the court with a bit more bounce in her step, Watson remained completely in control, coming up with an answer to every aspect of Garcia’s all-court game.
Awaiting Watson in the final is Kirsten Flipkens, a player she’s never won against in either of their previous two encounters.
“It won’t be easy,” Watson said of tomorrow’s match. “I’ve played Kirsten a few times and she’s very experienced. It definitely won’t be easy – I’ll have to bring my A-game tomorrow.”
Flipkens had to draw from every bit of her 13 years of experience to emerge victorious against Anett Kontaveit in their seesaw semifinal, 7-6(6), 6-4.
Kontaveit had her under pressure in the first set and Flipkens found herself having to dig out of a 3-5 hole to force a tiebreak.
“I think all week I was mentally very strong, but I think first set was a really tight one,” Flipkens said. “I came back very strong and the tiebreak was so close – it was like heads or tails.”
Flipkens looked to be totally in command in the second set, rushing ahead to a 5-1 lead as Kontaveit allowed the errors to pile up. But with her back against the wall, the young Estonian seemed to get her rhythm back and won three straight games to threaten a comeback. Flipkens stayed steady to reach her first final since 2013 ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
“It’s going to be a good match and I’m looking forward to it,” Flipkens said. “It’s been my first final in a long time in WTA so I’m gonna enjoy 100 percent.”
No.9 seed Johanna Konta continued her own impressive form at the Australian Open, dismissing rising star Naomi Osaka in straight sets to reach the third round.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Closing the book on the US Open with a look back on the stories that dominated the fortnight.
1. Angelique Kerber takes control.
Let’s be honest: The World No.1 wasn’t always considered a pressure player, and that’s putting it mildly. In 2015, which was a fantastic season for Kerber, she was 15-12 in three-set matches. Most notably, she was on the losing end of the biggest ones. There was the 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 loss to Victoria Azarenka in the third round of the US Open, which many considered to be the best match of the year. A few weeks before that she lost, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to Simona Halep at the Rogers Cup. There were two tough three-set losses to Garbiñe Muguruza at the French Open and Wimbledon as well.
Kerber admits now that those losses were painful reminders when push came to shove, she was getting shoved. So she put her foot down and she decided to push back. Step in, be aggressive, don’t wait for your opponent to give you the match. Play to win. Back yourself. Take control. This season? She’s won 15 of the 20 three-set matches she’s played. After learning from the losses, she also learned from the wins, such as her three-set triumph against Serena Williams in Australia.
That transformation was on full display against Karolina Pliskova in the US Open final. Playing her solid counter-punching gamestyle, she cruised for a set and a half. Then the nerves came as Pliskova’s level elevated, and she played a nervy service game to get broken and lost the second. Still reeling, she fell behind an early break at 1-3 in the decider. Then she said, “Enough.”
Three games from losing out on a chance to consolidate her No.1 ranking with a second major title, Kerber started taking her swings. No single shot has defined her 2016 season like the impossible forehand down the line winner she nailed at 3-3, 30-all in that third set. She was six feet behind the baseline, running deep into her forehand corner outside the tramlines. 10 out of 10 times every instinct in your body would tell you to pull it back cross-court, keep yourself in the point, and force your opponent to hit another ball.
Angelique Kerber? She’s a little different.
“When I was going down the line I knew, Okay, now I have to risk a little bit, because this is the only chance I can get,” Kerber said afterwards. “When I won the point I knew, ‘Okay, I have the feeling. Now just to go for it and [not] making the mistakes I make like a lot of times before.’ I was not thinking too much that this is a final. I was just trying to take the challenge, third set, it’s 3-All, and just go for it.”
“Going for it,” is a common refrain from Kerber these days. Even on a chance that small, on a stage that big, she backed herself and went all in. As the ball floated onto the baseline, Kerber let out the biggest full-body double-fistpump roar I’ve ever seen from her. She knew it before anyone else in the stadium did.
The pressure was gone. The match was over. The title was hers.
2. Karolina Pliskova is a world beater.
Overshadowed for obvious reasons after a top notch final was the fact that Pliskova backed up her phenomenal run to the Western & Southern Open title with yet another two weeks of unflinching tennis. In the last four weeks she beat the three reigning major champions, Serena Williams, Kerber (in Cincinnati), and Garbiñe Muguruza, as well as Venus Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova. She also proved she was clutch.
With 23,000 fans roaring against her, she faced down match point against Venus and went on to win, and then ousted Serena in straight sets. She ran out of gas at the end of the third set in the final, but up until that aforementioned Kerber forehand, she had proven herself not only a worth contender but a worthy champion. Playing in the biggest match of her life, Pliskova brought her entire arsenal and played like a woman who had been there before.
But perhaps even more importantly, she played like a woman who will be there again.
3. Caroline Wozniacki isn’t done yet.
Ranked No.74 at the start of the tournament, the Dane was well below the radar. With injuries keeping her off the tour for stretches throughout the season, she had also become an afterthought. Had the tour moved on without the former No.1? Not so fast.
Wozniacki lost just one set to make her first Slam semifinal since her final run in New York in 2014, beating Taylor Townsend, Monica Niculescu, and then Kuznetsova and Madison Keys back-to-back before rolling past a hobbled Anastasija Sevastova. She’s now back in the Top 30 and has a lot to build on during the fall season in Asia, where she believes she’ll be fresher physically and mentally than most of the field. If she’s healthy we could see her back in the Top 20 before the end of the year. That would set her up for a charge in 2017.
4. The gap continues to close between Serena and the field.
The ranking may change, but Serena is still, for now, the standard-bearer in the locker room. When she plays her best, as she did at Wimbledon, she remains unbeatable. But New York confirmed what has been the sense all season, that Serena’s B-level game, which would win her bushels of matches in the past, is more vulnerable than it used to be.
Simona Halep put forth her best single performance of the season to take Serena to three sets, facing down 12 break points in the second set. Less than 24 hours later, Serena was back on court to face Pliskova in the semifinals and she lacked the sharpness that was on display in the first week. Serena dismissed any concerns of fatigue but acknowledged that she had been dealing with a knee injury since the second round. That was enough margin for Pliskova to pull off the upset.
5. Experience matters.
I was struck by a very interesting take on the concept of experience from 18-year-old Naomi Osaka. The teen had just blown a 5-1 lead in the third set to lose to Madison Keys in the third round, a loss that saw her nerves laid bare as the New York crowd grew louder and louder with every Keys comeback. Osaka was asked whether her lack of experience – this is her first full year on tour – lost her the match.
“Getting experience is good, but I feel like if you’re a really good player it wouldn’t really matter if the place is new or if you’re traveling or whatever. Like, experience is good and whatever, right? But like not having experience, if you’re good enough, it shouldn’t really matter. Okay?”
Osaka has a point. If you’re good enough, you’re good enough. Watching the final unfold between Kerber and Pliskova, I thought back to Osaka’s point. Here’s Pliskova, who had never been past the third round of a Slam, playing like a veteran in her first Slam final, just 48 hours after doing the same to beat Serena. Maybe experience really is overrated.
Then Pliskova unraveled, very quickly, after losing the 3-1 lead, while Kerber soared, playing of course in her third major final of the year. Put me back in the experience camp.
6. You do you, Anastsija Sevastova.
The Latvian was a revelation in New York, not just because of her upset wins – she beat No.3 Garbiñe Muguruza and No.13 Johanna Konta – but also because of her game.
The 26-year-old has beautiful stroke production and a keen mind for the chessboard on the tennis court. She also wears her emotions on her sleeve, for better and worse. She feels like a throwback player in a way and her sarcastic, plain-spoken, honest presence in the interview room was both refreshing and entertaining.
Now up to No.32 in the rankings, I can’t wait to see how her game continues to match up.
7. Madison Keys takes two steps forward, one step back.
Too often in the past we would see Keys get behind in the scoreline and disappear. That has been less of a problem in her fantastic 2016 season.
Keys was “The Cardiac Kid” in the first week of the tournament, coming back from being two points away from the loss to beat Alison Riske in the first round – that match was the latest finish of a women’s match ever at the US Open – and then coming back from 1-5 down in the third to beat Osaka in the third round. The 21-year-old American showed grit and fire in willing herself to those wins, which has been a big improvement for her on the whole in 2016.
Then came her Round of 16 showdown with Wozniacki, which ended in error-strewn 6-3, 6-4 loss. Keys said the nerves were her undoing in that match and she panicked early and often when Wozniacki got a lead.
“The first week, even the first round, it’s much easier to say, I’m focusing on this round and not worrying about the next round,” Keys said. “Once you’re in the second week it seems a little bit closer, and I feel like sometimes I definitely get ahead of myself and I start thinking how much I want it.
“Sometimes I can get away from focusing on just point by point. Then that’s kind of when the nerves set in.”
Keys has been working with a sports psychologist and the improvements have been evident. She’s one of just four women to make the fourth round or better at every major this season (Serena, Kerber, and Radwanska have also done it). But the manner in which she lost to Wozniacki will sting.
8. Simona Halep is back to her best.
Ah, the cruelty of draws. Halep is in the form of her life right now on court but she fails to match her semifinal result from 2015, losing in the quarterfinals to Serena in three sets. For a player who has been prone to losses to lower-ranked players, note that since the French Open she has lost just three times, with all the losses coming to either Kerber (Wimbledon, Cincinnati) or Serena (US Open).
The improvements in her game, both in her movement and eye to be more aggressive was apparent in New York. Her mental game was also strong. She was able to pull herself out of her penchant for an emotional tailspin, and get back on track quickly. These are all very positive signs, and despite leaving New York in the quartefinals, Halep should be very pleased with the progress she’s made over the summer.
She currently sits at No.3 in the Road to Singapore.
9. Chemistry is everything for Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
True friends both on and off the court, Safarova and Mattek-Sands capped off an emotional few weeks to win their third Slam title and move within one Wimbledon title of capturing the Career Grand Slam as a team. The two rallied from a set down to beat top seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in Sunday’s final.
“We complement each other so well,” Safarova said. “Our games just fit. We have done so well in all the tournaments, and now this year has been tough year for us because I have been out for half a year with my sickness and missed Australia. Then Bethanie broke her finger just before French Open. But we both stuck together and believed that once we are again strong, healthy, and feeling that we can do this, and we did, so it’s amazing.”
10. Team France rebounds.
Mladenovic and Garcia may not have walked away with the title, but the top seeds at the US Open should be very happy with their tournament given the disappointment of the summer. The team was a heavy medal favorite at the Olympics and lost early. Heading into the US Open they were on a three-match losing streak. But they pulled it together to score two good wins over Sania Mirza/Barbora Strycova and Martina Hingis/CoCo Vandeweghe to make their second Slam final of the year.
Emptying out the notebook:
– Best performance: Ana Konjuh vs. Agnieszka Radwanska, Round of 16. The 18-year-old could not have played a more perfect match to beat Radwanska, 6-4, 6-4. The No.4 did not play poorly. Konjuh just had all the answers and her ability to work the angles and feather drop shots kept Radwanska off balance all night. No performance had me constantly in a slack-jawed state.
– Best match: Karolina Pliskova vs. Venus Williams, Round of 16. The final between Kerber and Pliskova should probably take the cake, given what was on the line and the fact that it was of a higher quality from first point to last. The quarterfinal between Halep and Serena was also absurdly good. But Pliskova vs. Williams is my pick simply because of the dramatic nature of the match. Pliskova saved match point, Venus saved three match points, and it all came down to a third-set tie-break, which Pliskova broke open with an absurd backhand stab pick-up volley. Pliskova went on to win, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3).
– Biggest upset: Karolina Pliskova vs. Serena Williams, semifinals. Pliskova had every reason to blink against Serena. She barely wavered and Serena eventually buckled in the tie-break, double-faulting twice including on match point. Pliskova won 6-2, 7-6(5).
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.