Kerber Rows Past US Open Pressures
WTA Insider David Kane | World No.2 Angelique Kerber took some time to unwind in the city that started it all for the Australian Open champion.
WTA Insider David Kane | World No.2 Angelique Kerber took some time to unwind in the city that started it all for the Australian Open champion.
The World Group II play-off draw has thrown out a potential heavyweight clash between Johanna Konta and Simona Halep, after Great Britain was drawn against Romania in the Federation Cup play-offs. The matches will be played in Romania on 22-23 April.
Britain kept alive its hopes of reaching the World Group stage for the first time since 1993 in dramatic fashion. Konta and team-mate Heather Watson won their doubles match against Croatia’s Ana Konjuh and Darija Jurak in Tallinn on Saturday, after the 19-year-old Konjuh had stunned the WTA World No.10 in their singles rubber, 6-4 6-3.
Aegon GB @FedCup Team will face Romania away in the World Group II Play-Offs! #BackTheBrits pic.twitter.com/3RIcEH7E3C
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) February 14, 2017
Romania is arguably the toughest draw available however, with WTA World No.4 Halep in the team. The 25-year-old missed her team’s surprise defeat to Belgium in their World Group II opener but will prove a formidable challenge when she returns.
Serbia, who came through alongside Britain, have drawn Australia while Chinese Taipei will host Italy and Kazakhstan travel to Canada.
In the World Group play-offs draw, Dominika Cibulkova and her Slovakia team will host Netherlands. 2016 finalist France will face Spain in the first meeting between the teams for six years. Russia will meet Belgium – the latter goes into the play-offs on the back of six consecutive Fed Cup tie wins. Elsewhere Germany will play at home to Ukraine.
The full draw is as follows:>
World Group play-offs
France v Spain
Russia v Belgium
Germany v Ukraine
Slovakia v The Netherlands
World Group II play-offs
Chinese Taipei v Italy
Romania v Great Britain
Serbia v Australia
Canada v Kazakhstan
WTA World No.8 Svetlana Kuznetsova, Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard and Italian Sara Errani have all been forced to withdraw from next week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships through injury.
Kuznetsova, who recently pulled out of the Qatar Total Open, citing an abdominal injury, issued a statement confirming that the injury would take longer than expected to heal.
“The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is one of the best tournaments in the world,” said the 2009 Dubai runner-up. “I am therefore sad to announce that I will have to miss this event this year. My doctors advised me that I need at least another week to rest my abdominal injury in order for a full recovery. I look forward to competing on the court very soon. I extend my best wishes to the organizers.”
Bouchard is also suffering from an abdominal injury and Errani, the reigning champion in Dubai, has withdrawn with a right adductor issue.
KEY INFORMATION:
Tournament Level: Premier 5
Prize Money: $2,517,250
Draw Size: 56 main draw (8 byes)/32 qualifying
Qualifying Dates: Friday, February 19 – Saturday, February 20
First Day of Main Draw: Sunday, February 21
Singles Final: Saturday, February 27, NB 6.00pm AST
Doubles Final: Saturday, February 27, 3.30pm AST
MUST FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
@WTA
@WTA_Insider – WTA Insider, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen
@QatarTennis – official tournament handle
Get involved in conversations with the official hashtags, #QatarTotalOpen and #WTA.
TOURNAMENT NOTES:
· Defending champion Lucie Safarova returns to action after missing the start of the season with a bacterial infection.
· The only other former winner in the draw is Simona Halep, who triumphed in 2014. Former finalists Svetlana Kuznetsova (2004, 2007), Caroline Wozniacki (2011) and Angelique Kerber (2014) have also made the trip to Qatar.
· Dubai finalists, Sara Errani and Barbora Strycova, have both entered Doha. The only players to have completed the Dubai-Doha double are Justine Henin (2007) and Martina Hingis (2001).
· For the complete draw click here.
WILDCARDS:
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN), Fatma Al Nabhani (OMA), Cagla Buyukakcay (TUR)
WITHDRAWALS:
Serena Williams (flu), Maria Sharapova (left forearm), Peng Shuai (right hand), Irina-Camelia Begu (right knee), Camila Giorgi (right knee), Alizé Cornet (low back), Mona Barthel (illness)
Take a look inside the glamorous Doha Player Gala with Angelique Kerber, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska and more WTA stars at the Qatar Total Open!
Zhang Shuai pulled off two tough wins in one day to reach the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
Sara Errani has Thursday’s shot of the day at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
An interview with Caroline Wozniacki after her victory in the second round of the Qatar Total Open.
It’s another milestone week for the WTA with Serena Williams hitting 157 consecutive weeks at No.1, passing Martina Navratilova for the second-longest streak at No.1 in WTA history.
Williams’ streak began in 2013 after defeating Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open; the American hadn’t been ranked No.1 in over two years after a foot injury and pulmonary embolism left her very career in question. Overcoming incredible adversity, a near-perfect 2012 season the the stage for the now-21-time Grand Slam champion to take back No.1 from Victoria Azarenka just over three years ago; she hasn’t reliquished the top spot since.
During this latest reign at No.1, Williams has won six major titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments – including two French and US Open titles – and remains one major victory away from tying Steffi Graff, who not only holds the Open Era record at 22 Grand Slam titles, but also has the longest streak for consecutive weeks at No.1 (186 weeks).
Caroline Wozniacki has Thursday’s shot of the day at the Qatar Total Open.