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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DOHA, Qatar: Former World No.1 Angelique Kerber admitted that she did not play well in her defeat to Daria Kasatkina in the Qatar Total Open – but was quick to pay tribute to her young opponent.

The top seed for the tournament was ousted 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 by the Russian teenager, who also knocked her out of the Apia International in Sydney in January.

“I was not feeling the best today – I’m trying to find my rhythm,” the 29-year-old said in her post-match press conference.

“But she [Kasatkina] plays good. I make too many mistakes in the important moments. I think it was, for sure, not my day.”

Kerber was let down by a proliferation of unforced errors in her 4-6, 6-0, 4-6 loss, but refused to blame it on the Doha rain delays affecting her concentration.

“Of course, the weather, it can happen like this,” she said. “I think this is not a big deal. Of course, we have to wait a lot, but yeah, this is not a big deal, I think, for us players.”

The German now turns her attention to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which begins on February 19.

“First of all, I have to get ready again and feeling good because, yeah, I was not feeling very good in the last few days,” she admitted. “I think this is the most important thing for me right now. Then, of course, looking forward to the next week [in Dubai].”

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JJ Edges Bencic In Dubai Thriller

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – Jelena Jankovic was two games from elimination in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Playing against against No.5 seed Belinda Bencic – who made her Top 10 debut on Monday – the former No.1 survived an onslaught from the 18-year-old to come out on top, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

“I just fought every point,” Jankovic said during her on-court interview. “I tried to hang in there; Belinda was playing so well and I was almost on the edge of losing in the second set but I fought hard and I’m lucky to win.”

Coming to Dubai a mere days after reaching the final of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, Bencic led by a set and a break, and had her chances in the final set as well, saving 14 of 17 break points faced – including three in a row in the eighth game of the third – but Jankovic proved too strong in the end.

“I made a few tactical changes, and my fighting spirit all added up together and it made me win at the end. Belinda is coming from the finals in St. Petersburg; she’s playing very well, she’s in form, and I’m happy to win tonight.”

In a match that had little between the two, the Serb hit 37 winners to 33 from the Swiss, and eight fewer errors than her much younger opponent – 44 to 52.

“When you look at it, I’m like 12 years older than her, almost her whole age!” Jankovic joked. “That was my advantage tonight.”

Up next for the 2008 US Open finalist is good friend Andrea Petkovic; the German had a seamless first round victory over Camila Giorgi 24 hours ago, dropping just three games.

“It’s all with the ‘-ic’ if you look at it,” Jankovic said with a laugh. “Jankovic, Bencic, and Petkovic all on this side of the draw!

“It’s kind of cool, but Andrea is my friend and I know her very well. We just practiced with each other a couple of days ago. We know each other’s games and there’s no secrets.

“It will be another tough match and hopefully I can play well and we’ll see how it goes.”

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DOHA, Qatar – No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova survived double duty on Friday, winning her first match against No.3 seed Dominika Cibulkova, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, to reach the final of the Qatar Total Open.

Pliskova had already made it through a quarterfinal encounter with Zhang Shuai between multiple rain delays, but an even bigger test loomed in the reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion, whom she’d never beaten in three previous encounters.

“I’m really excited, especially after what a long, tough day it’s been,” she said during her on-court interview. “Having two wins today is amazing, and I just beat Domi for the first time in my life. It was tough conditions, and so I don’t think it was the best tennis out there. But it’s a win, so it counts.”

The forecast favored the Slovak for most of the week, as she was the only of the four semifinalists to make it through on Thursday. That advantage appeared evident from the outset, but Pliskova soon found her rhythm, recovering from an early break to win the final four games of the opening set.

Undeterred, Cibulkova raced out to a 4-0 lead in the second and held on to level the match and take the momentum into the decider.

A tense finale followed as the pair traded confident service games until 3-3, when the World No.5 held two break points. With the help of a career-best serving day (21 in the match), Pliskova saved both in quick succession and, with the wind at her back, swept the conclusion after nearly two hours on court.

In all, Pliskova maintained impressive numbers from the back of the court, hitting 40 winners to just 16 unforced errors, and just one double fault in the face of those 21 aces.

“That definitely gave me more confidence,” she said of the crucial seventh game, adding, “and then getting on this side of the court, I got to play with the wind, so that helped, as well. I knew I had a chance to break her, and I did; I always believe I can break her, so I’m really excited to win the third set.”

Standing between Pliskova and a second title of 2017 is the winner of the second semifinal between former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki and Olympic Gold medalist Monica Puig.

“Right now, I’m just really happy. I’m going to rest a little bit now, enjoy that I won two matches in one day – that doesn’t happen every day! Then I’ll get ready for the final.”

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