Stuttgart: Player's Party
Check out the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Opening Ceremony and highlights from the Player’s Party here on wtatennis.com.
Check out the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Opening Ceremony and highlights from the Player’s Party here on wtatennis.com.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Grand Slam champions abound on Day 3 of the Australian Open, with two of 2016’s three major winners – World No.1 Angelique Kerber and French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza – hoping to advance into the third round in Melbourne. We preview all the day’s matchups right here at wtatennis.com.
Wednesday, Second Round
[13] Venus Williams (USA #17) vs Stefanie Voegele (SUI #112)
Head-to-head: Venus leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Voegele won her first Grand Slam main draw match since the 2015 Australian Open on Monday (d. Kurumi Nara)
The former World No.1 was given all she could handle in a tough first round against Kateryna Kozlova, and was feeling confident after knocking out her younger opponent in straight sets.
“Girl, I don’t know,” she joked with Sam Smith during the on-court interview. “I know how to play tennis.”
She certainly proved that after holding off the Ukrainian youngster, and will try to show more of that level against Voegele, a former World No.42 who is inching closer towards the Top 100 after over two years in the wildnerness.
Venus and Voegele will open play on Rod Laver Arena, and the American will likely look to keep rallies short as the heat could possibly become a factor should the match run long.
[1] Angelique Kerber (GER #1) vs Carina Witthoeft (GER #89)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Kerber is trying to defend a Grand Slam title for the first time in her career.
Angelique Kerber enjoyed a strong finish to the first match in her Australian Open title defense on Monday, edging past Lesia Tsurenko, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
“I was trying just to going for it in the third set, just trying to play my game,” she said in her post-match press conference. “I think that was the key for the match today.”
In the second round she takes on countrywoman Carina Witthoeft, whom she played twice at Wimbledon in the last two years. Their most recent encounter featured a first-set tie-break, the only set in which Witthoeft won more than one game.
Either way, Kerber won’t be taking too much into their next match.
“It’s the second round. I’m not looking too much about my opponents. I think she played a good match here. I know her very well; I think it will be a good match.
“But for me it’s important to go out there playing my match again, not thinking too much about my opponent.”
[7] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #7) vs Samantha Crawford (USA #162)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Muguruza shook off injury concerns in her first-round win against Marina Erakovic
The reigning French Open champion may not be at 100%, but has nonetheless channeled those niggling injuries into a glowing start to 2017, reaching the semifinals of the Brisbane International and sweeping aside Marina Erakovic in her first match in Melbourne.
“I was happy to win the first set, and then I just felt a little bit uncomfortable,” she said of her state of mind on Margaret Court Arena. “I just thought, take some precaution because of what happened in Brisbane. I took a medical timeout and became a little bit unfocused on the court. It took me a couple of games to get into the match again.”
Once she did, she didn’t let go, winning the final five games of the match, and blamed typical first-round jitters on compounding her physical concerns.
“I think this match was definitely more mental in certain situations, so I’m pretty pleased. I had to really forget about that and try to bring the best I had there.”
Muguruza next faces young American Samantha Crawford, who burst onto the scene last year when she herself reached the semifinals in Brisbane. Her own injuries have stunted her progress since, but the 2012 US Open junior champion is a clean ballstriker when playing her best.
Around the grounds…
No.11 seed Elina Svitolina opens play on Margaret Court Arena against Julia Boserup, followed by No.8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova’s second round match against Aussie qualifier Jaimee Fourlis.
Women’s doubles also gets underway on Wednesday, with top seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic taking on Belinda Bencic and Ana Konjuh. Venus and Serena also debut as the No.15, and all four women in the hunt for No.1 are in action, including Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Elena Vesnina, with partners Lucie Safarova and Ekaterina Makarova, respectively.
An interview with Angelique Kerber after her win in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
World No.1 Angelique Kerber survived another second-set hiccup on her 29th birthday to overcome Carina Witthoeft in straight sets at the Australian Open.
Angelique Kerber has Wednesday’s shot of the day at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Catch up with all of the second-round results from Day 4 of the Australian Open.
An interview with Laura Siegemund after her win in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Watch Svetlana Kuznetsova ride a rollercoaster at Melbourne’s historic amusement park, Luna Park!
ISTANBUL, Turkey – Cagla Buyukakcay delighted the Turkish fans at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup, roaring out to a big lead and treating the crowd to a tense ending with a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Stefanie Voegele.
Watch live action from Stuttgart & Istanbul this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Buyukakcay turned heads earlier in the year with a run to the third round of the Qatar Total Open – upsetting Lucie Safarova en route – but has been even more impressive at home in Istanbul, running through four matches without losing a set to become the first Turkish woman to reach a WTA singles final.
“I was very nervous in the beginning,” she admitted after the match. “I was trying to focus on the point all the time; it was hard not to think about the future in the second, when I was 6-0, 2-0 up.”
Completely in charge through the opening eight games, Voegele – a former Volvo Car Open semifinalist in 2013 – found her way back to level in the second set, getting within one game of tying things up in the tenth game.
“I knew my opponent could come back at any time, but it’s normal that I lost a little bit of concentration. It’s tough to finish a match and I was starting to feel really tight, but also I was making some unforced errors. But I would be brave again and I’d tell myself, ‘Play your best and try. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.’ It’s better to say this than ask, ‘Why didn’t I go for it?’ after the match.
“That’s why I was positive when I was 5-4 down, I was like, ‘Play your game, play aggressively like you did before.’ That worked well for me.”
Maintaining an incredibly high first serve percentage, Buyukakcay only missed three first serves through the one hour and 23 minute match, winning 63% of her first serve points and converting six of 11 break point chances on return.
“I hadn’t noticed, but I was told I was serving over 90%; that must have happened for the first time in my career!”
The top-ranked Turkish star was already the first from her country to reach a WTA semifinal, and Saturday’s victory allowed her to go one better, and assure herself of a Top 100 debut.
What a moment for #Buyukakcay! Makes the final at home! 6-0 7-5 over #Voegele @istanbul_cup pic.twitter.com/BgdJlEZGdL
— TennisTV (@TennisTV) April 23, 2016
“It was very important for me to break the Top 100 this match; that’s why I was very emotional at the end. I’ve been working for it for the first time, and I’ll be the first woman in Turkish tennis to be Top 100. It’s a huge thing for me.
“I saw the Turkish flags around me, and I’m reminding myself all the time that it’s perfect to be here, and it’s working.”
Hoping to inspire other young women from her home country, Buyukakcay discussed her active role as President of the Athlete’s Commission through the Turkish Olympic Committee.
“I’m very happy about it because we have to encourage kids to be involved with sports. My role is to help them for their Olympic dreams and to have a good bridge between the athletes and the Olympic Committee, and what we can do together in the future.
“It’s an important role for me to be a good athlete, because when I was young I didn’t have any role models in tennis. That’s why my dreams were very far for me; I didn’t have anyone to look up to. But because of me, they can dream that they also can reach a WTA final. We could never dream about it before in Turkish tennis.”
Standing between the hometown favorite and a maiden WTA title will be Danka Kovinic, who overcame a topsy-turvy second semifinal to see past Katreryna Kozlova, 7-5, 6-4. In doubles, Buyukakcay’s compatriot Ipek Soylu continued the banner week for Turkish tennis as she and partner Andreea Mitu reached the final when Nao Hibino’s right shoulder injury forced she and Kurumi Nara to withdraw from the semifinals.
Kovinic is also in the doubles final, having won her semifinal with fellow No.3 seed Xenia Knoll on Friday, and withstood a spirited challenge from Kozlova to reach the singles final on Saturday.
“The conditions are completely different on this court than on Court 1,” she said after the match. “It´s a bit faster but I like it more because there is no wind.
“I am really happy that I finished in two sets. It has been a tough week for me coming from Fed Cup but I am really happy with my result here because I am a step closer to making it for Rio, to play for my country. I hope that tomorrow is a good match. I know Cagla very well. We are close friends and we played in Charleston a few weeks ago.
“I expect a crazy crowd tomorrow, but I like it when the stadium is full even if they are against me and I like that people come to watch and to support us.”
CoCo Vandeweghe discusses her support system and former mentor Vic Braden in her post-match press conference at the Australian Open.