Tennis News

‘S-HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands – It’s never easy to face a close friend on the tennis court, and it’s even harder to do so when a final is at stake. But that’s exactly what No.3 seed Kristina Mladenovic was asked to do and she delivered in emphatic fashion, coming back from a set down to defeat Belinda Bencic 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach her second career WTA final at the Ricoh Open.

Watch live action from ‘s-Hertogenbosch this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“It feels actually quite nice to play against her,” Bencic said after the match. “Obviously we are best friends, and it’s nice because it’s quite rare that you can have your best friend on the tennis circuit.

“We obviously expected to play each other someday, but we were both prepared.”

It was a familiar situation for the pair of former Junior World No.1s: just last year in this very stage, Bencic was the one to best Mladenovic in the quarterfinals on her way to her ‘s-Hertogenbosch final appearance. This year the pair met again, with a spot in the final up for grabs.

But even that wasn’t enough to drive the best friends apart, and they indulged in the usual selfies and pre-match banter on Twitter:

Thanks for taking the nicest picture b***?? tss ? and see ya tomorowww??❤️ https://t.co/4iqiaaCYyD

— Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) June 10, 2016

As soon as they stepped onto the court at the Ricoh Open, they were all business. Bencic raced through the opening set, taking it 6-2 in just 33 minutes, but nonetheless a troubling pattern emerged early on: the Swiss brought up nine break point chances and only converted on two.

In the following set, Mladenovic relied on her serve to bail her out of trouble time and time again, and her court movement began to come together. The Frenchwoman stormed back to take the second set 6-3, then completed her comeback to reach her second career WTA final. Bencic will surely rue the missed opportunities: in the last two sets, she created eight break chances and didn’t convert once.

“It was definitely a very tough match, and a very tricky one,” Mladenovic said afterward. “As probably everybody knows, Belinda is my best friend on the tour and in real life. It’s a lifetime relationship. It’s not easy.”

But Mladenovic also acknowledged that despite having her best friend on the court against her, revenge was the one thing on her mind today.

“The funny part is that we have played each other just one time, exactly one year ago right here,” she said. “It was a close match, three sets like this, and she won it. I’m just glad to have taken my revenge.”

More to come…

? pic.twitter.com/EfZC2SOW8f

— WTA (@WTA) June 11, 2016

‘S-HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands – CoCo Vandeweghe overcame Kristina Mladenovic and the worst of the Dutch weather to recapture the Ricoh Open on Sunday afternoon.

Watch live action from ‘s-Hertogenbosch this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Despite contending with multiple rain delays, Vandeweghe maintained her composure to break in the penultimate game and wrap up a 7-5, 7-5 victory. Vandeweghe, who also won the title in 2014, follows in the footsteps of Justine Henin and Tamarine Tanasugarn as only the third player in the tournament’s 21-year history to win it on two occasions.

After serving herself out of trouble on more than one occasion, Vandeweghe produced a couple of smart backhand returns to manufacture the decisive break in the penultimate game of the second. A lengthy downpour stalled her momentum, and on the resumption she fell a break behind.

The American reached the final without dropping the set and maintained her flawless record by reeling off the final four games of the match.

“It was actually really difficult – we had three rain delay stops – so it was really difficult to get yourself back into the match and make sure you’re fresh and light and ready to go. Especially the last rain delay in he first set. I was really trying to get myself moving,” Vandeweghe said.

“I got myself in a bit of a pickle in the second set, but I battled my way out of it, and sometimes the name of the game is just battling through adversity and problems you cause for yourself.”

More to follow…

Caroline Wozniacki

2016 Quick Hits
Week 1 Ranking: No.17
Year-End Ranking: No.19 (Lowest ranking No.74, Aug 29)
Season Highlights: Title at Tokyo, Hong Kong
Best Major Result: SF (US Open)

19 Days left until the 2017 #WTA season! ? pic.twitter.com/IiR9929uR0

— WTA (@WTA) 13 de diciembre de 2016

2017 Outlook

Caroline Wozniacki’s Year-End Ranking of No.19 – just two spots below her Week 1 Ranking – belies the rollercoaster season that the Dane experienced in 2016.

Maybe another stat can paint a better picture: Caroline Wozniacki held a 13-14 win-loss record this year before the US Open; from New York until end it was 21-3.

After an impressive run to the ASB Classic semifinal in Auckland in January, Wozniacki’s season was derailed by injuries and she was sidelined for the entire clay court season. Her ranking took a beating after suffering a disappointing string of first and second round defeats, plummeting to its lowest point at No.74 in August.

But whether her ranking was inside the Top 20 or outside the Top 70, one thing stayed the same: Wozniacki’s self-belief never wavered.

“I never doubted that I could come back and make it here, because I’ve worked too hard my whole life on my fitness to keep my body in shape,” Wozniacki said in Hong Kong. “I was like, ‘It’s going to be okay, where it’s going to be a month, two months, four months.’

“I knew eventually I would be back.”

Wozniacki, no stranger to setbacks and comebacks, recovered empathically and put together a stunning run to the US Open semifinals, then backing it up in Asia with titles at the Toray Pan Pacific Open and Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.

Looking ahead to next season, the former World No.1 is right where she wants to be. Finally fit and healthy and with a paltry 488 points to defend between Week 1 and the US Open, Wozniacki can expect to continue her rise into 2017.