Cibulkova Celebrates WTA Finals Win At Clifford Pier In Singapore
Dominika Cibulkova took the Billie Jean King Trophy out for a celebratory photoshoot a day after conquering the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
Dominika Cibulkova took the Billie Jean King Trophy out for a celebratory photoshoot a day after conquering the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
An interview with Sloane Stephens after her win in the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open.
An interview with Zhang Shuai after victory in the group stage at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Watch live action from Moscow & Luxembourg this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!
The World No.12 knew she had to win the tournament, which is also being contested by Singapore rival Svetlana Kuznetsova, to reach the finals, but was trailing the Australian, 6-3, 3-0, when she pulled out.
It was Suárez Navarro who made the brighter start, finding her range in rallies from the off and breaking after Gavrilova sent a forehand long. The Australian had a chance to get back on terms immediately but squandered three break points and the Spaniard recovered to hold.
The No.3 seed missed an opportunity to extend her lead in the third game of the match but both players settled after the frantic opening and became more comfortable on serve.
With Suárez Navarro serving at 4-3, Gavrilova rallied, producing some stunning winners to finally draw level after a marathon game. The World No.37 ground out a hold and soon found herself with two set points on the Suárez Navarro serve; she took the second thanks a forehand into the tramlines.
Suárez Navarro, who had to undergo treatment between sets, had the chance to get on the front foot at the start of the second but sent a routine backhand wide on break point. A string of unforced errors then handed Gavrilova a break to love and the Australian soon had a clear lead.
After Suárez Navarro missed a further chance to break the Gavrilova serve and slumped to a 3-0 deficit in the second set, she announced to the umpires that she was retiring, ending her chances of reaching Singapore.
The last @WTAFinalsSG spot is down to Jo Konta or Svetlana Kuznetsova. Scenario is simple: If Sveta wins Moscow, she's in. If not, Jo is in.
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 19, 2016
“I thought I played pretty well, it was a tough battle, I’ve practised with her a lot of times,” Gavrilova said after the match.
“[There were] a few pretty tough games, I think we played the first four games for like 40 minutes, and then I found momentum.
“I lost my serve at the very beginning, but I felt like I was still in it and I had a lot of chances and then finally it all worked out.
“I feel very different to how I felt last year; I was really tired last year. This year, I had a few days off after the US Open and regrouped and had my training in Melbourne and now I’m just enjoying the last few tournaments.”
Suárez Navarro’s withdrawal means that only Kuznetsova can prevent Johanna Konta from filling the final spot in Singapore.
Watch as WTA stars at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai took a break from the competition to give back to the Zhuhai community with a number of fan-friendly activities!
WTA Insider David Kane | Fresh off her first win in Zhuhai, Caroline Garcia laughed through a harrowing experience that kept her grounded at the Doha airport for 14 hours earlier this year.
MOSCOW, Russia – Daria Gavrilova ended 2014 champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s hopes of returning to the Kremlin Cup final after a two-hour-and-thirty-six-minute battle in the Moscow quarterfinals.
Watch live action from Moscow & Luxembourg this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!
Last week at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, Gavrilova stunned the WTA World No.1 Angelique Kerber in straight sets, and tonight in Moscow she added another scalp to her long list of upsets after taking out Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Gavrilova squeezed through a tight opening set, with both players wrestling for the momentum before the Australian converted her fourth break opportunity in the eleventh game to narrowly take the set. She climbed ahead to a 4-0 lead in the second, with Pavlyuchenkova looking increasingly more frustrated, and looked set to wrap up the encounter.
The Russian had other ideas, though, and harnessed the energy of her home crowd to mount her comeback, rattling off six games in a row to level the match and force a decider.
With emotions running high, Pavlyuchenkova dumped a forehand into the net and got her second warning for racquet abuse, handing Gavrilova the first break in the third set at 3-2.
The Australian took over from there, and she brought up match point with a well-timed drop shot after running Pavlyuchenkova all over the court, then sealed the match with a blistering forehand for a spot in the semifinals.
Pavlyuchenkova will likely rue her missed opportunities – she brought up 17 break points (with six of them coming in the deciding set) and only converted on five. For her part, Gavrilova was more efficient and converted six of her nine chances. Pavlyuchenkova struck 30 winners and 45 unforced errors throughout the match against Gavrilova’s 27 and 33.
Gavrilova will play Julia Goerges for a spot in the final after the German edged past No.8 seed Daria Kasatkina 7-5, 6-1.
Elina Svitolina takes on Johanna Konta in the semifinals at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
SINGAPORE – Simona Halep has won the Jerry Diamond ACES Award for 2016.
The Diamond ACES Award was first introduced in 1995, in memory of former WTA CEO Jerry Diamond. The award is presented to the player who consistently goes above and beyond in promoting the sport of women’s tennis to fans, media, and local communities by performing off-court promotional and charitable activities.
The Romanian has earned the ACES award for the first time in her career, having participated in numerous kids’ clinics throughout the globe, charitable activities such as the Charity Day Clinic in Madrid, as well as fan friendly events, including the Sydney Festival, to help bring the game closer to the community.
WTA Diamond Aces Award Winners
2016: Simona Halep
2015: Caroline Wozniacki
2014: Petra Kvitova
2013: Victoria Azarenka
2012: Victoria Azarenka
2011: Caroline Wozniacki
2010: Samantha Stosur
2009: Elena Dementieva
2008: Ana Ivanovic
2007: Jelena Jankovic
2006: Svetlana Kuznetsova
Complete listing of the historical WTA Awards.
Petra Kvitova powered her way to the final of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai with the help of her dominating first serve – SAP Coaches View shows how she got it done.