Bacsinszky Too Strong For Venus
Timea Bacsinszky continued her serene progress through the Roland Garros draw with a straight set victory over former finalist Venus Williams.
Timea Bacsinszky continued her serene progress through the Roland Garros draw with a straight set victory over former finalist Venus Williams.
No.21 seed Sam Stosur is back into the semifinals of the French Open for the first time since 2012 with her win against surprise quarterfinalist Tsvetana Pironkova.
Bol, Croatia is known for its spectacular coastline, and now it’s home to the inaugural WTA Bol Open, a clay court WTA 125K series event.
The player party took place on a yacht and Ana Rucner, a world-class singer and cellist who competed in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, provided the night’s entertainment.
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario was on deck and she grabbed a photo with Felisk Lukas, the WTA Bol Open tournament director.
French qualifier Marine Partaud took in the action from a distance.
It was definitely a night to remember on the “Katina” yacht, courtesy of Tomislav Debeljak.
Before the player party, though, it was time to make the draw and the top seeds, Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and Ana Konjuh, were on hand for the ceremony.
Thankfully Schmiedlova and Konjuh drew themselves into opposite halves!
Konjuh in particular was thrilled to compete in a WTA event in her home country of Croatia.
Right before the start of play, a pair of WTA legends took to the picturesque courts to compete in an exhibition match.
14-time Grand Slam winner Sanchez Vicario – known as the “Barcelona Bumblebee” – is also a WTA Finals ambassador.
Iva Majoli and Sanchez Vicario got plenty of tennis action this week: the pair are also competing in Legends Doubles at the French Open.
Defending champion Serena Williams overcame a tight opening set to end Kiki Bertens’ fairytale run to get within one match of tying Steffi Graf’s 22 Grand Slam titles in Paris.
Just how dominant is Serena Williams on grass courts? And who is her biggest challenger at Wimbledon? Find out as SAP takes you Behind The Numbers this grass court season.
With the American hardcourt swing wrapped up after Indian Wells and Miami, the clay season begins in earnest at the Premier-level Volvo Car Open in Charleston. But for those not ready to switch surfaces, the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey has drawn a world-class field.
Here’s what’s on tap for this week on the WTA:
CURRENT TOURNAMENTS:
Volvo Car Open – Charleston
Tournament Level: Premier
Prize Money: $710,900
Draw Size: 56 main draw (8 byes)/32 qualifying
Surface: Green clay, outdoors
Qualifying Dates: Saturday, April 1 – Sunday, April 2
First Day of Main Draw: April 3
Singles Final: Sunday, April 9, NB 1:00 pm EDT
Doubles Final: Sunday, April 9, 10:30 am EDT
Top-ranked players: Madison Keys, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Vesnina, Sam Stosur
Defending Champion: Sloane Stephens
TALKING POINTS:
– Five former Charleston champions are present: Andrea Petkovic (2014), Samantha Stosur (2010), and ex-No.1s Caroline Wozniacki (2011), Jelena Jankovic (2007) and Venus Williams (2004)
– Reigning Charleston champion Sloane Stephens is unable to defend title she won by beating Elena Vesnina 12 months ago due to her continuing recovery from foot surgery
– Madison Keys is top seed – a status she has enjoyed only once before at a WTA event (2015 Strasbourg) – and will continue her comeback having returned from a wrist injury at the Indian Wells-Miami double-header
Abierto GNP Seguros – Monterrey
Tournament Level: International
Prize Money: $226,750
Draw Size: 32 main draw/32 qualifying
Surface: Outdoor hard
Qualifying Dates: Saturday, April 1 – Monday, April 3
First Day of Main Draw: Monday, April 3
Singles Final: Sunday, April 9, NB 3:30 pm CDT
Doubles Final: Sunday, April 9, 1:00 pm CDT
Top-ranked players: Angelique Kerber, Carla Suárez Navarro, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Caroline Garcia, Timea Babos
Defending Champion: Heather Watson
TALKING POINTS:
– World No.1 Angelique Kerber is competing at this year’s tournament, having reached the final here in 2013
– No.2 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova returns to Monterrey for her sixth time, clinching the title on three occasions – 2010, 2011 and 2013
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS:
Claro Open Colsanitas – Bogota
International | $226,750 | Clay
Monday, April 10 – Saturday, April 15
Top-ranked players: Kiki Bertens, Katerina Siniakova, Peng Shuai, Johanna Larsson, Lara Arruabarrena
Defending Champion: Irina Falconi
Ladies Open Biel Bienne
International | $226,750 | Indoor Hard
Monday, April 10 – Sunday, April 16
Top-ranked players: Barbora Strycova, Timea Babos, Roberta Vinci, Laura Siegemund
Defending Champion: None, first staging
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – Stuttgart
Premier | $710,900 | Indoor Clay
Monday, April 24 – Sunday, April 30
Top-ranked players: Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska
Defending champion: Angelique Kerber
TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup
International | $226,750 | Clay
Monday, April 24 – Sunday, April 30
Top-ranked players: Elina Svitolina, Timea Babos, Yulia Putintseva, Irina-Camelia Begu, Eugenie Bouchard
Defending champion: Cagla Buyukakcay
TOP 20 PLAYERS’ SCHEDULES:
1. Angelique Kerber: Monterrey, Stuttgart
2. Serena Williams
3. Karolina Pliskova: Stuttgart
4. Dominika Cibulkova: Stuttgart
5. Simona Halep: Stuttgart
6. Garbiñe Muguruza: Stuttgart
7. Johanna Konta
8. Agnieszka Radwanska: Stuttgart
9. Svetlana Kuznetsova: Stuttgart
10. Venus Williams: Charleston
11. Madison Keys: Charleston, Stuttgart
12. Caroline Wozniacki: Charleston
13. Elina Svitolina: Istanbul
14. Elena Vesnina: Charleston, Stuttgart
15. Petra Kvitova
16. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: Monterrey
17. Samantha Stosur: Charleston, Stuttgart
18. Barbora Strycova: Biel, Stuttgart
19. Kristina Mladenovic: Stuttgart
20. Timea Bacsinszky
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:
Madison Brengle (USA) – April 3, 1990
Asia Muhammad (USA) – April 4, 1991
Darija Jurak (CRO) – April 5, 1984
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) – April 7, 1990
CiCi Bellis (USA) – April 8, 1999
With Wimbledon just three weeks away, expectations are high for British No.1 Johanna Konta. In the last 12 months, she has undergone a career transformation which has seen her go from a grateful wildcard to a true WTA contender, and with it comes the pressure.
Sky Sports caught up with Konta in Nottingham ahead of her landmark opening round win at the Aegon Open Nottingham, where she’s once again made British tennis history.
“I started playing when I was eight,” Konta told Sky Sports. “When I was nine, I decided I wanted to be No.1 in the world.”
With her victory yesterday over Victoria Duval, 25-year-old Konta is one step closer to fulfilling her childhood dream. Her WTA ranking has now risen to World No.18, making her the first British woman in 33 years to break the Top 20 since Jo Durie in October 1983. It’s an even more remarkable feat considering that Konta started out the year ranked at No.48.
Her name is now etched in the history books, but for Konta, not much has changed.
“Well, a lot of external things have changed,” Konta conceded. “But at home, and how I feel about my tennis, it’s very much the same.
“I consider myself very lucky to be able to do what I love. I very much don’t take anything for granted.”
Click here to view the video on skysports.com or watch Sportswomen tonight at 10pm BST on Sky Sports 5.
No.11 seed Mirjana Lucic-Baroni outlasted Aleksandra Krunic to ease into the second round of the Volvo Car Open in Charleston.
Laura Siegemund takes on Venus Williams in the second round of the Volvo Car Open.
Check out Alizé Cornet’s shot of the day against Donna Vekic at the Abierto BNP Seguros.