Tennis News

MIAMI, FL, USA – South Florida’s own Monica Puig took to Crandon Park to have fun with the next generation of tennis stars at the Miami Open Kid’s Day.

The Olympic Gold medalist was joined by ASB Classic champion Lauren Davis and ATP stars Jack Sock and Grigor Dimitrov, as well as legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri. Hundreds of kids got the chance to learn tennis from the professionals with interactive drills across eight different stations.

“If you do everything you can and give everything you have, then you’re a winner,” Bollettieri told the kids. “That’s the attitude. No matter the result, you’re a winner.”

Check out the best photos from Miami Open Kids’ Day right here!

– Photos courtesy of the Miami Open

MIAMI, FL, USA – What did the top seeds have to say before the Miami Open? From Dominika Cibulkova and Garbiñe Muguruza’s memories of Miami breakthroughs to Simona Halep’s “weird passions,” WTA stars told all at the pre-tournament Media Day…

Dominika Cibulkova:

On coming back to Miami, which was the springboard to her career…
“From the first time I played here as a tournament, it was my favorite tournament. And it still is, because I have so many great memories here at this tournament.

“I can’t forget some of the matches I’ve played here. The first time I was 18 years old, and I played here a third round against Elena Dementieva. That was the first big match for me, and I lost in three sets. Actually this match was a turning point, when I realized I could really play with the best of the best. Since that I beat Agnieszka Radwanska here to reach Top 10 for the first time. So, I really have great memories.”

Surprisingly strong Slovakian support in South Florida…
“I like hockey, and I remember because there were a lot of Slovakian hockey players playing in [the Panthers]. I remember they used to come and cheer me on here in Miami. But I think now there are not any. But these are the little details that make your stay much better.”

Garbiñe Muguruza:

On receiving a Miami wildcard as a teenager…
“This is such a great tournament for me because this was like my breakthrough. I got a wildcard and I beat two Top 10s and went to fourth round, which was quite amazing. Plus I love the environment, I love the Latin American people, so I feel very at home here.

“I came here just for the wildcard in the tournament, I didn’t come to Miami at all before that. And I remember seeing all these tennis stars at that time, because I was playing other kinds of tournaments, and it was amazing for me. I will never forget it.”

Simona Halep:

On her newly-minted partnership with Mercedes in Romania…
“I have weird passions. I love watches and cars. Maybe that’s a little bit weird, but I love cars, and I’m really happy with this partnership.”

Putting her injury woes behind her…
“It’s not easy. Last year I also had problems with my nose and ears. This time was an injury and it was really tough to accept because I’d never been in this situation, where I had to take five weeks off completely. It wasn’t easy, but I had to accept that everyone struggles with injuries sometimes. I’m just trying to get back soon, but slowly.”

Angelique Kerber:

Accepting the ups and downs…
“I think you cannot play one year at the top level. You always have up and downs. I had it last year as well but I was not making a big deal of it. I’m still feeling good on court of course, and you just have to go out and play your best tennis. The others they would have nothing to lose against you, and this is a completely new situation for me.”

On feeling no pressure at World No.1…
“No, I think the pressure is not there anymore, I think it’s more like motivation for going out there and playing again my tennis. I know the situation already and it’s more going out, playing tough again and having my feeling back.

“Of course, nobody has nothing to lose against me. But, it’s actually a good challenge for me. It’s a completely new challenge, but I think that I’m ready for that.”

Svetlana Kuznetsova:

On learning to love – and study – the game…
“Up until 14 years old I didn’t really like tennis, but when I moved to Spain that’s when I really liked it. I didn’t Spanish TV because I didn’t understand much of it. I haven’t been living back in Moscow. So I haven’t been watching much of tennis in my life. But just now I really enjoy it.

“I love about United States, it’s that people and commentators are really positive. I love how they commentate and I always listen, because the great players are commentators and it’s amazing to hear it. It’s always something interesting even for people who know a lot about tennis. I’m always curious.

“Lindsay Davenport was commentating last week, and I was curious to listen to her view of tennis and the game. Because we came to play against each other but I never know how the people think and what they think about the game, and everybody has a different view about the game. The same when I listened to Kim Clijsters when she was commentating the Australian Open a couple of years ago. I said, ‘Kim, I like whatever you say.’ It’s very interesting for me, I always like to learn more about the game.”

Karolina Pliskova:

On backing up her Indian Wells results…
“I had this last year as well – I did semis last year and then I lost in first round here. So I just want to change this. I know I struggle after I do a good result in one tournament and then coming to a different tournament after.

“Obviously there is not much time as I would like to have to practice, but still I have three days. I’m starting on Thursday so I’m just trying to get ready. I think I’m in good shape this year, so hopefully I can change it in this tournament, to not lose in the first round.”

– Photos courtesy of Getty Images

The countdown to the Rio Olympics is officially underway, with the Games set to begin in 100 days. You can expect more Olympic chatter over the next five weeks as the players look to shore up their rankings to complete their qualification campaigns.

Here are the stories we’re keeping an eye on.

The Chase Is On.

Generally speaking, Olympic singles qualifying has two major components: Fed Cup participation and a player’s ranking on June 6th, the Monday after the French Open. We detailed the Fed Cup requirements earlier this year here.

With no more Fed Cup ties being played between now and the Olympics, there’s nothing a player can do at this point to satisfy any Fed Cup deficiencies other than requesting her National Olympic Committee to file an appeal to the ITF.

But a player does have control over her ranking. With nearly 4,000 points up for grabs at the tour’s biggest clay tournaments over the next five weeks — the Mutua Madrid Open, Internazionali BNL d’Italia and French Open — the race is on for the players to get their rankings inside the Top 56, and in some cases even higher.

The Top 56 players — as determined the Monday after the French Open (June 6th) — will qualify for the Olympics, assuming they satisfy their Fed Cup requirements and are in good standing with their national federation. However, since no country may send more than four singles players, the rankings cut-off line will likely be closer to No.60-65, as players who come from a nation with a rich Top 60 talent pool won’t be sent to Rio.

As of this week, here are the players who are on the rankings bubble and the points they need to defend through the French Open. The higher the number, the more difficult it will be to move up the rankings.

49. Alizé Cornet (FRA): 365 pts
50. Camila Giorgi (ITA): 80 pts
51. Caroline Garcia (FRA): 130 pts
52. Sabine Lisicki (GER)*: 230 pts
53. Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER)*: 101 pts
54. Elena Vesnina (RUS)*: 250 pts
55. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ): 186 pts
56. Heather Watson (GBR): 140 pts
57. Julia Goerges (GER)*: 335 pts
58. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL): 10 pts
59. Christina McHale (USA)*: 345 pts
60. Denisa Allertova (CZE)*: 180 pts
61. Nao Hibino (JPN): 146 pts
62. Zhang Shuai (CHN): 70 pts
63. Monica Puig (PUR): 50 pts
64. Zheng Saisai (CHN): 270 pts
65. Varvara Lepchenko (USA)*: 93 pts
66. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR): 90 pts
67. Irina Falconi (USA)*: 143 pts
68. Mona Barthel (GER)*: 20 pts
69. Johanna Larsson (SWE): 10 pts
70. Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL): 479 pts

* Asterisk denotes player is ranked outside the Top 4 from her nation. Only the Top 4 players from each nation will be Olympic eligible.

Intranational qualifying campaigns to watch.

In any other situation, a country’s depth, particularly in the Top 60, would be considered a bragging right. For Olympic qualifying purposes it’s a curse. A maximum of four eligible players may play the singles event from a single country, meaning a player who has satisfied her Fed Cup requirements and is within the Top 56 cut-off may still be watching the Olympics from home.

This rule will impact four countries – United States, Russia, Czech Republic, and Germany – as each country currently has more than four players ranked inside the Top 60. The battle here is to be one of the Top 4 players from your country on June 6th.

USA
1. Serena Williams
14. Venus Williams
21. Sloane Stephens
24. Madison Keys
—–
36. CoCo Vandeweghe
59. Christina McHale

Team USA’s fourth spot will likely come down to a three-way battle between Stephens, Keys, and Vandeweghe, none of whom have ever made the US Olympic team. Vandeweghe is currently the odd-woman out but she has the fewest points to defend, with just 105. Stephens has the most to defend with 415 and Keys has 250. McHale, who qualified for the London Olympics in 2012, will find it difficult move up the rankings. She is defending 345 points, built on a surprising quarterfinal run in Rome last year.

Russia
9. Maria Sharapova*
13. Svetlana Kuznetsova
26. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
30. Ekaterina Makarova
—–
32. Daria Kasatkina
48. Margarita Gasparyan
54. Elena Vesnina

With Sharapova currently serving her provisional ban, her eligibility will depend on the timing of her hearing and the decision that comes down. Setting Sharapova’s situation aside, the Russian race is a fairly volatile one. Kuznetsova is currently ranked at No.13 but she has 650 points to defend through the French Open, largely due to her run to the Madrid final last year.

Looking at the players on the bubble, Kasatkina has just 55 points to defend, while the woman in front of her Ekaterina Makarova has 355 points to defend. Gasparyan has 125 points to defend. Vesnina, who could qualify as a doubles player (more on that later) has 250 points to defend as she tries to chase the fourth qualifying singles spot.

Czech Republic
6. Petra Kvitova
16. Lucie Safarova
18. Karolina Pliskova
33. Barbora Strycova
—–
60. Denisa Allertova

The Czech team looks nearly set. Barring a miracle run from Allertova, the usual Czech stalwarts should start booking their flights to Rio.

Germany
3. Angelique Kerber
29. Andrea Petkovic
41. Annika Beck
42. Laura Siegemund
—–
52. Sabine Lisicki
53. Anna-Lena Friedsam
57. Julia Goerges

The German situation is a fascinating one. Kerber and Petkovic are in good position, but the last two spots will come down to five players.

Thanks to her inspired run to the Stuttgart final last week, 28-year-old Siegemund has put herself in position to qualify, pushing Lisicki, who has 230 points to defend, out of the picture. With just 101 points to defend, Friedsam could also make a surge up the rankings. The tougher task falls to Goerges, who has the most points to defend amongst the Germans with 335.

The Doubles Race

For the 32-team doubles draw, 24 teams will earn direct entry one of two ways, with a maximum of two teams per country. Players ranked in the Top 10 in doubles on June 6th are in and they can choose any player to team with provided that player has a recognized ranking.

For example, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who is currently ranked No.3, could take her occasional doubles partner Vandeweghe with her to Rio even if the young American fails to qualify for singles. The same goes for No.1 Sania Mirza, who can take any Indian woman as her doubles partner.

Here is the Top 10 as of this week:

1. Martina Hingis (SUI)
2. Sania Mirza (IND)
3. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)
4. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)
5. Lucie Safarova (CZE)
6. Casey Dellacqua (AUS)
7. Chan Yung-Jan
8. Chan Hao-Ching
9. Kristina Mladenovic
10. Lucie Hradecka (CZE)

As a result, we could see Hingis pair with Belinda Bencic or Timea Bacsinszky, Shvedova team with Yulia Putintseva, or Dellacqua pair with Sam Stosur.

The rest of the field will be determined by a team’s combined ranking, using their highest rankings in either singles or doubles. That is likely how Serena and Venus, using their singles rankings, will earn direct entry to defend their title. That’s also how you could see a team of Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro for Spain. Another application of the rule could see a German team theoretically comprised of Julia Goerges (No.16 in doubles) and Angelique Kerber (No.3 in singles), though it’s unclear whether either player is contemplating the pairing.

Here are a few successful doubles teams who could be on the qualifying double:

– Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia (FRA): The duo have been the dominant team over the last three weeks, with titles in Charleston and Stuttgart. If Mladenovic maintains her Top 10 ranking they’ll qualify outright. If she drops out of the Top 10 they’ll have to rely on their combined ranking to get in.

– Elena Vesnina and Daria Kasatkina (RUS): Vesnina is currently chasing a Top 10 finish, currently sitting at No.14. If she can get there, the team is in. If not it’s a tougher ask given Kasatkina’s singles ranking is currently outside the Top 30. The duo snapped Hingis and Mirza’s 41-match win streak in February and have proved a formidable pairing. They’re medal contenders if they can qualify.

– Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova (CZE): Silver medalists in London, their combined doubles ranking should get them direct entry to Rio. But they’ll breathe a sigh of relief if one of them snags a Top 10 spot on June 6th. Hradecka is No.10 as of now, with Hlavackova behind her at No.12.

And to keep things even more complicated for the countries with considerable singles and doubles depth, a country’s full tennis team cannot exceed six women. That can impact the composition of the doubles teams as well.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images

MIAMI, FL, USA – The Miami Open doubles tournament kicked into high gear on Saturday as two of the Top 4 seeds took the court to begin their respective campaigns. Before the storm clouds rolled in for the third straight day, No.2 seeds Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina and No.4 seeds Andrea Hlavackova & Peng Shuai both advanced into the second round, each in straight sets.

The two teams last met in the finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which the Russians won in a tense match tie-break, and could potentially meet in the semifinals of Miami.

Hlavackova and Peng have nonetheless enjoyed a strong start to 2017, reaching the finals of the Australian Open and briefly leading the pack at the top of the Road to Singapore leaderboard.

“The doubles game is improving a lot,” Hlavackova told WTA Insider. “A lot of singles players are playing doubles, and most of the top teams are made up of singles players, so it’s very tough competition. We are very happy to start the season so well; I think it’s pretty special to start the team so well as a new team. We just want to keep going.”

Up against a young team in Naomi Osaka and Monica Puig, the duo edged through a close opening set to roll through, 7-6(6), 6-1, and book a second round clash with Shuko Aoyama and Yang Zhaoxuan.

“They started very strong in the first set. They served really fast and played a very fast baseline game. It was very important to not panic and keep playing and find out time and moment. We got the tie-break and started from there, even better.”

Osaka and Puig each produced exciting results in singles last year, but have yet to hit the same heights on the doubles court.

“They’re young; when they get to our age, they’ll have experience!” joked Peng.

“I think they’re a great team. They play strong and fast. In the first set, we were almost lucky to get the tie-break, but in the second set, we got a break quickly, so the feeling was different.”

Earlier in the day, Makarova and Vesnina each shrugged off tough singles losses on Friday to power through their first doubles match in Miami, ousting Oksana Kalashnikova and Asia Muhammad, 6-0, 6-2.

“We both had crazy singles matches yesterday,” Vesnina said. “I texted her after the match, because I knew she was crying and she was tired. I told her, ‘Katya, don’t even put yourself down. We have a tough sport, but it’s not the end of the world. Cry for another five, ten minutes, and just pack your stuff, go back to the hotel, get sleep, and tomorrow we’ll kick some asses on the court!’

“We needed to regroup and forget our tough losses because it’s tough. You can have a black line in your life, white line in your life, and there can be moments where there are more black lines than white, but you still need to find the positivity though the negative. Sometimes, what doesn’t kill you makes you strong.”

The dynamic duo are set to celebrate their fifth anniversary of doubles at the Mutua Madrid Open, but may leave Crandon Park with an unexpected present; should they win the tournament, they will rise to Co-World No.1 – as long as Bethanie Mattek-Sands falls before the semifinals and Kristina Mladenovic fails to reach the final.

“Before you told me, I didn’t even know! We’ll take it match by match. Katya and I always do that; we’ll just focus on our doubles. We lost our singles, so we’ll try our best to do good in doubles because this is a big tournament.

“Miami is very prestigious and it’s a huge event; we’ve been in the final twice. This year we’ll try to go all the way.”

Up next for the Olympic Gold medalists and reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champions is the unseeded and dangeous pairing of Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.