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Arrruabarrena, Niculescu To Battle In Seoul

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SEOUL, South Korea – Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena spoiled the all-Romanian party when she knocked out Patricia Maria Tig in an emphatic straight sets, dropping just three games on her way to the Korea Open final, 6-1, 6-2. She’ll take on another Romanian, Monica Niculescu, for the title.

It’s the first WTA final of the year for the No.90-ranked Spaniard, who will enjoy a much-needed boost after spending much of 2016 toiling at the ITF level and in qualifying rounds. In fact, it’s her first final since her victory at the WTA 125K event in Cali back in 2013.

Arruabarrena was dominant in the opening set, breaking Tig three times and allowing her to win only barely 11 points in the 21-minute opener. The Romanian found her footing in the second and brought up six break points on Arruabarrena’s serve, but the Spaniard brushed them aside to advance to the final after just 58 minutes.

Up next for the 24-year-old is the No.5 seeded Niculescu, who is playing her first event since reaching the third round at the US Open.

Much like her opponent, Niculescu needed barely an hour to move past her semifinal opponent Zhang Shuai 6-0, 6-4.

Zhang recovered admirably from her opening set shutout, pushing Niculescu and trading breaks with her three consecutive times. She was a game away from forcing a decider, but Niculescu rallied to claim the decisive break.

It’s also the first final of the year for Niculescu, who entered Seoul having yet to advance past a round of 16 stage.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – Kateryna Bondarenko is through to the third round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after No.5 seed Garbiñe Muguruza was forced to withdraw due to a left achilles injury while trailing 4-1 in the opening set.

“It’s good that I’m through, but it wasn’t really a win,” Bonadarenko said after the match. “She retired.”

Muguruza suffered a shock defeat last week Doha to Zhang Shuai, and looked to be struggling with her timing early on, double faulting to hand her opponent the immediate break.

At the first changeover, Muguruza called for the physio but opted not to take an injury timeout before being broken again.

“When I finished in Doha, because of the rain, a lot of people played two matches, including me,” Muguruza explained. “The second one was very tough, and I remember that as soon as I went, after the match, to my room, I started to have a pain in my left Achilles.

“The next morning was even more painful. I have been carried this since that day. And here, I have been training but on and off, honestly, because of the pain. Some days it was a little bit better, some days it was a little bit worse. It was just hard for me to serve, especially, and to just move side to side today on the court.

A lack of mobility clearly apparent, Muguruza decided that the best way back into the match was to hit her way out of trouble. But with the score at 4-1 in the first set, she decided that it wasn’t worth continuing.

“I can’t see anything right now. I have to do some kind of MRI.

“Personally, I don’t think it’s like something big, hopefully, but it’s very irritated and it’s really bothering me every time I have to run on the court.”

Muguruza’s retirement means that Bondarenko, who has never been past the second round, will now face either Viktorija Golubic or Caroline Wozniacki.

Click here to learn more about Muguruza’s injury courtesy of WTA Insider.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – Elina Svitolina made it through to her third quarterfinal of 2017 so far after a titanic tussle with Christina McHale.

The Ukrainian triumphed 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to set up a clash in the next round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with Lauren Davis.

“It was really tough today – I was in and out today mentally, I was a little bit losing my focus in the first set,” she said in her on-court interview after the match.

“In the end I was just trying to fight for every ball, and I think that’s why I won.”

McHale pushed Svitolina right to the end, forcing her to serve for a match which lasted two hours and 22 minutes, and saving the first of three match points.

She could not delay the inevitable for too long, though, as the 22-year-old’s grit saw her through.

Svitolina was already thinking about her next opponent, the American Davis.

“I’ve played against her a couple of times…but it’s always going to be tough in any quarterfinal,” she said.

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Dubai: The Player Party

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Take a look inside the glamour and excitement of the Dubai Player Party with Dubai Duty Free Ambassadors Caroline Wozniacki and Zhang Shuai!

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Champions Corner: Caroline Wozniacki Reflects On Tokyo Triumph

Champions Corner: Caroline Wozniacki Reflects On Tokyo Triumph

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

TOKYO, Japan – Caroline Wozniacki came to the Toray Pan Pacific Open having re-asserted her presence among the game’s elite at the US Open. Ranked No.74 in late August, the Dane roared into her first Grand Slam semifinal in exactly two years, and reminded fans and pundits that she was still one to watch.

Backing up that run in New York might have been tough for some, but Wozniacki’s week in Tokyo was arguably more impressive, earning two more Top 10 victories – including a thrilling win over No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska – to take her first title of 2016. Can she keep up her exciting start to the WTA’s Asian Swing?

WTA Insider caught up with Wozniacki after withstanding the charge from Japanese teenager, Naomi Osaka:

WTA Insider: Take me through the week and how you were able to maintain your form from the US Open with some great wins. What was the key for you this week in Tokyo?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great week, and I think the court really suits me. It’s kind of fast; the ball is a little heavy, but I’ve played well here in the past, and I think grinding and fighting for every point was key. I had some tough three-set matches here this week, and I managed to pull those off. I’m just really happy to be here at the end of the tournament.

WTA Insider: Going back to maybe a few days after the US Open, and you’re thinking about the rest of the season. What’s going through your mind as you know you’re playing well and have a great opportunity in Asia. What’s your motivation or your thought process before heading to Tokyo?
Wozniacki: Honestly, I took some days off and relaxed after enjoying a good US Open run. I had some sponsor commitments, and had a few hits, or actually one hit before I left for Tokyo. I practiced with a few of the girls here before my first match. I felt good, like I was hitting the ball well. I knew I’d face a few tough opponents, but I was feeling confident and hitting the ball well. That combination is good for me.

Caroline Wozniacki

WTA Insider: Did you think you had a level of confidence heading to Tokyo that you hadn’t had the rest of the year?
Wozniacki: I just felt like I played well at the US Open, and if I could keep that up, I would be tough to beat. But you never know; it’s a new week, new tournament, and I was just coming in here trying to take one match at a time – I know that’s a cliché – and go from there. I know that, when I’m healthy, I can play well, so hopefully I can carry this on into the rest of the year.

WTA Insider: Flashback to Zhuhai, and maybe again when we spoke in Eastbourne. Your injuries were creeping up and had obviously derailed your season for several months. You kept saying that if you kept working, surely luck has to break your way somehow. Do you feel like that’s what has happened over the past four weeks?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great few weeks. I’m just happy that I’ve managed to get some great wins under my belt. It hasn’t been about getting easy draws, but I’ve gotten some breaks to win the tight matches. I’ve been healthy for a little bit now, which is huge for me. Hopefully I can build on that moving forward.

WTA Insider: Talking about the final a little bit: you fell behind the early break, and was able to turn things around. Was there a leg issue as well?
Wozniacki: I don’t know; hopefully it’ll feel better tomorrow. I got some treatment on it, got it taped up. Right now, I’m going to try and enjoy this win for as long as I can. It was a tough match; Naomi’s a great player, and really young, so she has lots of potential. I think we’ll see lots of her in the future.

WTA Insider: You were talking about the ability to turn things around and play better tennis in New York, and you’re playing much more offensively, getting to the net. That seems like a change; is that something you’ve put into your mind about shortening points?
Wozniacki: I think I’m maybe moving a little bit faster. I’ve been able to work on my fitness, so that means that I can get to the ball faster and take it earlier. That gets my opponent out of position, and that makes it easier to get to net, when the opportunity is there.

Caroline Wozniacki

WTA Insider: You’re going to board a plane fairly quickly to head over to China. There’s lots of points in Wuhan and Beijing. How much does getting back into the Top 20 or other possible ranking goals play on your mind?
Wozniacki: Not really. I’m playing well; obviously, being in the Top 10 is a goal. But everything else, I’m just happy to have won here and I’m going to do my best to deal with this really quick turnaround. We’ll have to see how I can do that, go out there and fight.

WTA Insider: The semifinal you played against Aga was one of the most riveting matches of the year. You had your back against the all and were able to pull that out. How much do those wins over top players mean to you right now?
Wozniacki: It was such a great fight. Aga and I know each other so well, and we know each other’s games so well. We always know we’re going to have long rallies, and it’s going to be a fun match for both of us. I had my back against the wall and she was playing really well, but I somehow managed to fight and stay aggressive. I went for my shots and they went in at the right moments. It was a grueling match, but a fun one and I really enjoyed it. It definitely means a lot beating a top player, and feeling like I’m back where I want to be.

WTA Insider: Do you fee like you are? Are you there, or are you getting there? Where is Caroline right now?
Wozniacki: I think I’m feeling good. Obviously, you can always improve and always play better. But I feel like I’m hitting the ball well; I’ve beaten four Top 10 players in the last couple of weeks, and it’s been good. I’m just enjoying it and hopefully I can carry this momentum forward to the rest of the year.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

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Notes & Netcords: September 26, 2016

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

THE WINNERS

2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open champion Caroline Wozniacki overcame injury and withstood a late charge from rising star Naomi Osaka, 7-5, 6-3 to win her first title of 2016.

“It’s the last match of the tournament, and I just wanted to go out and enjoy it,” Wozniacki said in her on-court interview. “It’s the final and both of us had great weeks. We both wanted to go out there and play well.”

Read match recap & watch highlights. | WTA Insider: Wozniacki on her Tokyo title.

 Lara Arruabarrena won a topsy-turvy Korea Open Tennis final against Monica Niculescu on Sunday to capture her second WTA title.

Four years on from her only other WTA silverware, on the clay of Bogotá, Arruabarrena mastered the cement – and Niculescu’s unorthodoxy – to triumph, 6-0, 2-6, 6-0, in just under two hours.

Read match recap.

Lesia Tsurenko edged past defending champion and No.2 seed Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to claim the title at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open.

Playing Guangzhou for the second time in her career, Tsurenko capped off her trip to the sprawling Chinese port city by taking home her second career title after a nearly two-hour-and-thirty-minute clash against Jankovic.

“I think today I played really good tennis, except maybe in the second set when I felt a little bit tired,” Tsurenko said in her post-match press conference. “But I said to myself that I have to give it all in the final set, and I was fighting for each point. I had to give 100 percent to win this title.”

Read match recap.

RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of September 26, 2016.

Lara Arruabarrena (ESP), +29 (No.90 to 61): Arruabarrena owns the week’s biggest ranking jump and rises to a career high of No.61 after claiming her second WTA title in Seoul.

Lesia Tsurenko (UKR), +27 (No.80 to 53): Tsurenko continued her career-best week at the US Open with another big move, taking home the title at Guangzhou and sitting just outside the Top 50.

Naomi Osaka (JPN), +19 (No.66 to 47): 18-year-old Osaka delighted her home crowd with a run to her first career final in Tokyo. She rises to No.47 – a career high – and becomes the youngest player ranked inside the Top 50.

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN), +6 (No. 28 to 22): Just a few weeks ago, Wozniacki entered the US Open ranked No.74. A lot can change in those few weeks, with Wozniacki now back within striking distance of the Top 20 after capturing her first title of the year in Tokyo.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

2016 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open
Wuhan, China
Premier | $2,288,250 | Hard
Sunday, September 25 – Saturday, October 1
Defending champion: Venus Williams

Tashkent Open
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
International | $226,750 | Hard
Monday, September 26 – Saturday, October 1
Defending champion: Nao Hibino

China Open
Beijing, China
Premier Mandatory | $5,424394 | Hard
Saturday, October 1 – Sunday, October 9
Defending champion: Garbiñe Muguruza

TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Angelique Kerber – Wuhan, Beijing
2. Serena Williams
3. Garbiñe Muguruza – Wuhan, Beijing
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – Wuhan, Beijing
5. Simona Halep- Wuhan, Beijing
6. Karolina Pliskova – Wuhan, Beijing
7. Venus Williams – Wuhan, Beijing
8. Carla Suárez Navarro – Wuhan, Beijing
9. Madison Keys – Wuhan, Beijing
10. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Wuhan, Beijing
11. Victoria Azarenka
12. Dominika Cibulkova – Wuhan, Beijing
13. Johanna Konta – Wuhan, Beijing
14. Timea Bacsinszky – Wuhan, Beijing
15. Roberta Vinci – Wuhan, Beijing
16. Petra Kvitova – Wuhan, Beijing
17. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Wuhan, Beijing
18. Elina Svitolina – Wuhan, Beijing
19. Samantha Stosur – Wuhan, Beijing
20. Elena Vesnina – Beijing

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:

Serena Williams (USA) – September 26, 1981
Simona Halep (ROU) – September 27, 1991
Monica Puig (PUR) – September 27, 1993
Cagla Buyukakcay (TUR) – September 28, 1989
Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) – September 28, 1970
Paula Ormaechea (ARG) – September 28, 1992
Martina Hingis (SUI) – September 30, 1980

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – Top seed Angelique Kerber needed just over an hour to move into her first semifinal of 2017 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after defeating Ana Konjuh in straight sets.

The World No.2 employed her solid brand of tennis against the big hitting 19-year-old, staying calm against Konjuh’s barrage of winners to advance 6-3, 6-2.

“I’m really happy about the match today,” Kerber told press after the victory. “I mean, it was a tough one, because Ana is a tough opponent. She’s going for it. You have to play until the last point so it’s nice to get through in two sets.”

Kerber got off to a roaring start, shutting out Konjuh to build up a daunting 4-0 lead.

The Croat stopped the rot with a break of serve, reeling off three straight games to cut into Kerber’s advantage. But a string of double faults – including two in the 5-3 game – and loose errors off the ground handed Kerber the opening set.

Konjuh held her ground in the second, hanging with the World No.2 in the early exchanges and showing flashes of the brilliance that caused her to be named one of the most promising young players of the WTA. Kerber stayed firmly in control, though, and broke twice to reel off four games in a row and close out the match after an hour and fifteen minutes.

Kerber hit a scant seven winners to Konjuh’s 24, but allowed just eleven unforced errors compared to her opponent’s 35.

She’ll play Elina Svitolina for a spot in the final with an eye on the WTA’s top ranking: should Kerber win the title in Dubai she’ll return to World No.1.

“I think it will be a tough match again,” Kerber said. “I think we will have a lot of rallies. I have to be aggressive and just like the last days here. I mean, I have to be really focused on my game, on my rhythm.

“Just trying to enjoy the next match here on the Centre Court, and of course I will try to go out there and to win another match here.”

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