Charleston: Stephens vs. Gavrilova
Sloane Stephens takes on Daria Gavrilova in the third round of the Volvo Car Open.
Sloane Stephens takes on Daria Gavrilova in the third round of the Volvo Car Open.
SINGAPORE – Angelique Kerber heads into the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global as World No.1 – and she intends to stay that way. It will be her fourth appearance at the tournament, where she will attempt to make it beyond the round robin stage for the first time.
1) Top notch.
Kerber looks set to end the year as the World No.1 – a position she achieved for the first time in September when she won her second Grand Slam, the US Open, and bumped Serena Williams off the top spot. If she does finish as year-end World No.1, she will be the 12th woman to do so since rankings were introduced in 1975.
2) Experience counts.
Kerber is the 22nd woman to achieve the World No.1 ranking – and, at 28 years old, the oldest to debut in that spot.
3) Flying the flag.
She is the first German to make it to World No.1 since Stefanie Graf – one of her idols.
4) First left.
She is also the first left-handed player to hit the heights of World No.1 since Monica Seles – last at the top of the rankings almost 20 years ago.
5) Queen of Consistency.
2016 will be Kerber’s fifth straight year in the Top 10 – but her first in the top five since 2012.
6) Triumphant 2016.
Kerber signalled her intentions when she beat Williams in the Australian Open final back in January – and she followed that up by reaching the Wimbledon final, when she lost narrowly to Williams. Kerber won 19 of 22 matches during the summer swing as she reached the semifinals in Montreal, collected a silver medal at the Olympics and was a finalist at Cincinnati – indeed, she played 11 matches in 14 days throughout that hectic period. It didn’t have too much of a detrimental effect on her, though – she rounded it off with her second Grand Slam title by defeating Karolina Pliskova in the US Open final.
7) 28 years later.
Not to emphasise her age too much, but Kerber is only the second woman to win her first two Grand Slam singles titles after turning 28. Li Na did it first, winning the 2011 French Open at 29 and, three years later, the Australian Open.
8) First loss.
Since reaching No.1, Kerber has lost to Petra Kvitova (Wuhan), Elina Svitolina (Beijing) and Daria Gavrilova (Hong Kong).
9) Final ambition.
Kerber insists the prospect of finishing the year at No.1 is not on her mind – and that her goal is simply to do well in Singapore.
10) Big challenge.
Despite making her debut at the WTA Tour Finals back in 2012, Kerber has yet to qualify out of the round-robin stage – indeed, during her debut she did not win a single match. She has qualified for the Finals in every year since, except for 2014 where she was an unused alternate. And she’ll be confident that she knows how to handle the pressure of the big occasion now – she drastically improved her three-set win percentage by 18.4 per cent (from 15-12 in 2015 to 17-6 in 2016). That includes both her Grand Slam victories, taking the finals in three sets – showing that she can win on the biggest stages of all.
The first quarter of 2017 is in the books, and before the WTA tour turns to the European red clay, it’s time to take one last look back at the Top 5 moments that have shaped the season thus far.
The No.1 moment on our countdown is a record-breaking achievement that went down in tennis history…
Serena Cements Her Place In Tennis History: There was one word that dominated the tennis headlines in January: “history.” It’s what was on the line at the Australian Open final when Serena Williams and Venus Williams took to the court for the first all-Williams final in Melbourne in 14 years.
And 81 minutes later, Serena took home the title – without dropping a set or even facing a tiebreaker during the entire tournament – and rewrote the history books with an Open Era record 23rd Grand Slam title.
SHE’S DONE IT! No. 23@serenawilliams is your #AusOpen 2017 women’s singles champion. ? pic.twitter.com/LC6fpWi3Ik
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
“It’s such a great feeling to have 23,” Serena said after the match. “I’ve been chasing it for a really long time. When it got on my radar, I knew I had an opportunity to get there, and I’m here. I’m here.
“It’s a great feeling, and no better place to do it than Melbourne. My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of. I couldn’t have written a better story.”
Not only was the win Serena’s 216th at Grand Slam tournaments, improving on her already-record total, but it also restored her place at the top of the WTA rankings, returning to World No.1 for the first time since the 2016 US Open.
Her season would come to a halt after the Australian Open, though. Serena withdrew from Indian Wells and Miami before announcing earlier this week that she was expecting her first child in the fall.
But Serena stands alone on our countdown – much like she does in tennis history – and her record-breaking feat at the Australian Open is the No.1 moment of the 2017 season to date.
The Top 5 Moments That Marked 2017 So Far:
5) The Future Is Now: Teen Titans Crash WTA Party: Kasatkina, Vondrousova Take Titles To Start 2017
4) Slow & Steady Wins The Race: Wozniacki & Svitolina’s Hot Streaks Lighting Up 2017
3) Veterans Victorious: Venus & Lucic-Baroni Loom Large To Start 2017
2) Sunshine Sweeps: Vesnina & Konta Capture Career-Best Titles To Start 2017
1) Serena, Unparalleled: Serena Makes History With 23rd Grand Slam Title To Start 2017
March was packed with plenty of amazing shots – we narrowed it down to the five best.
In the end it was Agnieszka Radwanska once again who played one of many memorable shots to engineer a match point against the equally tricky Monica Niculescu. On her way to briefly reclaiming the World No.2 ranking for the first time since 2012, Radwanska hit a most improbable passing shot to stun the BNP Paribas Open crowd – and taking home this month’s top votes.
Click here to watch all of March’s finalists.
Final Results for March’s WTA Shot Of The Month
1. Agnieszka Radwanska (55%)
2. Simona Halep (33%)
3. Camila Giorgi (5%)
4. Serena Williams (4%)
5. Angelique Kerber (3%)
2016 WTA Shot of the Month Winners
January: Caroline Wozniacki
February: Agnieszka Radwanska
How it works:
Five shots are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com
STUTTGART, Germany – The European clay season begins in earnest this week as hometown favorite Angelique Kerber leads the WTA into the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The two-time champion tops a draw that houses a host of elite players and threats on the dirt, as players look to get off on the right foot on the road to Roland Garros.
Check out 10 things to know ahead of Germany’s Premier red-clay event.
1) Star-studded sightings in Stuttgart.
Eight of the WTA’s top 10 are competing this week. Defending champion Angelique Kerber is the event’s top seed, as one of three former champions in the main draw.
2) Top seed, but not No.1 (for now).
Though Kerber will drop to World No.2 in the rankings on Monday, the German has a chance to reclaim the top spot in the WTA rankings should she reach the semifinals this week.
3) Good things come in threes.
Kerber could be the fourth player to three-peat in the history of the tournament, dating back to when Tracy Austin and Martina Navratilova did it at the event’s beginnings in Filderstadt. Maria Sharapova also won three straight tiles from 2012-14.
4) Siegemund sneaks in.
Last year’s runner-up Laura Siegemund earned the final wildcard to this year’s tournament at the 11th hour – the World No.37 was tabbed as the final entrant prior to Saturday morning’s draw.
5) Sharapova says hello.
The aforementioned three-time Stuttgart champion Maria Sharapova returns to the WTA this week.
6) An epic rematch first up.
Though both are unseeded, the first round match between Kristina Mladenovic and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni promises to have fireworks. The two have met already on clay this season, as the Croat took a marathon 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(13) victory in Charleston earlier this spring.
7) Game, set, match – for the first time.
Two of the event’s top 8 seeds will be looking to break a losing spell in Stuttgart this week. The No.6 seed and a wildcard in the event, Johanna Konta is 0-2 in her career at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, while No.3 seed Dominika Cibulkova has fallen in the first round in each of her four appearances.
8) Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Several WTA stars will be returning to Stuttgart for the first time in a while this week, as Cibulkova makes her first appearance in the tournament since 2012, while Mirjana Lucic-Baroni plays the event for the first time in three years. Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova plays just her second Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, having fallen in the first round in 2011, and her first-round foe, 2010 runner-up Samantha Stosur appears for the first time since 2013.
9) Compatriots to do battle to commence play.
Two first-round matches will see countrywomen face off, as Elena Vesnina will play Daria Kasatkina — and the winner of the all-Russian showdown will face either Garbiñe Muguruza or Carla Suárez Navarro, who face each other in an all-Spanish clash.
10) Show your colors, then head to Stuttgart.
Nine players who will feature in the main draw are also donning their country’s colors this weekend – Kerber, Vesnina, Kasatkina, Siegemund, Johanna Konta, Simona Halep and CoCo Vandeweghe.
1. Fantastic First.
Dominika Cibulkova will round off a fantastic season by appearing at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global for the first time in her career. “I can’t describe with words what qualifying for the WTA Finals Singapore means to me,” said Cibulkova. “After such a tough year last year, this year has been amazing – so reaching the WTA Finals is a dream come true. It was my goal to be a consistently great player and I have achieved that this year. I want to enjoy it, play good tennis and end the year the best way I can.”
2. Linz Leader.
She wrapped up her place at the season-ending showpiece when she beat Viktorija Golubic 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the Generali Ladies Linz.
Dominika @Cibulkova reaches the #WTAFinals for the first time in her career! ? pic.twitter.com/Yhg1cNBokQ
— WTA (@WTA) October 16, 2016
3. Comeback Queen.
Singapore will crown a terrific comeback season for Cibulkova. She has won three titles in 2016 — at the Katowice Open, Aegon International Eastbourne and most recently Linz – and she finished as runner-up at the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL, Mutua Madrid Open and the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
4. Flying High.
She’s flown up the rankings this year – Cibulkova was ranked No.66 in February and thanks to her scintillating form has since hit a high of World No.8.
5. Wedding Worries.
Cibulkova’s wedding this year was scheduled for the day of the Wimbledon final – and when she made it all the way to the quarterfinals it looked like the nuptials might have to be delayed for a day or two. Elena Vesnina solved the potential problem, though, beating a fatigued Cibulkova, 6-2, 6-2.
6. Missed Chance.
It’s all such a contrast from 2014, when Cibulkova had her first chance to qualify for the WTA Finals – and her late season form took a nosedive, winning just three regular season matches after Wimbledon.
7. Impressive Improvement.
It’s also a huge improvement from 2015, when she missed five months of the season after surgery on her heel and dropped down the rankings, falling out of the Top 50, although she managed to rise up to world No.38 by the end of the year.
The point of The Championships so far? ??? @ARadwanska & @Cibulkova #Wimbledonhttps://t.co/UZ1HMkYjvv
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2016
8. Rival for Radwanska.
Cibulkova leads defending Singapore champion Agnieszka Radwanska 3-1 this year — and all four matches went deep into three sets. That will be intriguing should they face off in the Finals.
9. Set Fair.
It’s not just Radwanska she has great three-set form against. Cibulkova is the player on the WTA tour with the most three-set wins in 2016 — her record currently stands at 18 wins and nine losses.
10. Follower of Fashion.
With the help and support of her friend Marion Bartoli, in 2014 Cibulkova launched a clothing line, ‘Pome!’, named after her on-court rally cry.
The WTA is live streaming the singles & doubles draws, practice sessions, press conferences & Future Stars final, for the duration of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
You can watch it all here, LIVE, from October 21 through to the end of the tournament!
Be the first to find out which of your favorite WTA stars will face off against each other at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global!
Follow the Draw Ceremony LIVE on Facebook and wtatennis.com Friday, October 21 at 18:30 SST / 06:30 ET / 11:30 BST.
LIVE STREAM SCHEDULE:
Friday, October 21:
Live Practice – 1:30 PM-2:00 PM (SST) | 6:30 AM-7:00 AM (BST) | 1:30 AM-2:00 AM (EDT)
Live Singles Draw Ceremony – 6:15 (SST) | 11:15 AM (BST) | 6:15 (EST)
Saturday, October 22:
Live Practice – 5:00 PM-6:00 PM (SST) | 10:00 AM-11:00 AM (BST) | 5:00 AM-6:00 AM (EST)
Sunday, October 23:
Live Future Stars Final – 10:45 AM (SST) | 3:45 AM (BST) | 10:45 PM Saturday (EST)
More streams to be announced – stay tuned!
*Stream times and duration subject to change
Svetlana Kuznetsova takes on Timea Babos in the quarterfinals of the Kremlin Cup.
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – On Wednesday night, Kobe Bryant hit the court for the last time in his career. After 20 extraordinary seasons, ‘The Black Mamba’ will hang up the purple and gold for good. With a sold-out crowd, Bryant dropped a season-high of 60 points and led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-96 comeback win against the Utah Jazz.
It was a night to remember and current WTA players, as well as a few WTA Legends, took to Twitter to show their support and say #ThankYouKobe…
#MambaDay pic.twitter.com/RoTVyYmDC3
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) April 10, 2016
? pic.twitter.com/ZbTiEXewcS
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) April 14, 2016
Amazing career @kobebryant 5 rings 60 point exit. #MambaDay looking forward to your continued journey
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) April 14, 2016
YAAAAAAAAAS MAMBA!!!! #notevenalakersfan #clutchcity
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) April 14, 2016
This guy!! 60 points in his last game … ??? amazing ! #mambaout pic.twitter.com/lpTnrXi8Dj
— Kim Clijsters (@Clijsterskim) April 14, 2016
Legendary Mamba.. #EndofanEra
— Sloane Stephens (@SloaneStephens) April 14, 2016
Great speech @kobebryant emotional funny grateful full of love!!
— Pam Shriver (@PHShriver) April 14, 2016
What a career! #Legend #DreamEpic @kobebryant @Nike pic.twitter.com/xlT2UbUY3z
— Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki) April 14, 2016
An interview with Daria Gavrilova after her win in the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup.