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MADRID, Spain – Can Simona Halep cap off a banner week for Romanian tennis? Or will Dominika Cibulkova continue her role as spoiler?

WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen previews Saturday’s final at the Mutua Madrid Open with some help from Adrian Toca, founder of the influential Romanian tennis site Treizecizero.ro. Nguyen and Toca review a fantastic week for Romania in Madrid, which saw Halep, Irina-Camelia Begu, Sorana Cirstea, and Patricia Maria Tig make the quarterfinals. Toca explains the impact of Halep’s rise on tennis in Romania and looks ahead to a final that is very difficult to call.

Toca: In Romania it’s already a big story, to have four players in the quarters of this kind of tournament. We already knew about Simona, what she can do, what kind of tennis she can play. But having a lot of other girls that probably the tennis world wasn’t aware of them before, such as Patricia or having Sorana back, this made everything much sweeter for us.

Nguyen: Cibulkova, I’ve called her the most dangerous unseeded player in the draw. Thankfully for everyone, with her run here in Madrid, she will be seeded most likely from now on at the major tournaments for the rest of the year. As it is, it’s a very tough matchup for Simona. Dominika leads the head-to-head 3-1 and has the type of game that can bother Simona. I find it to be quite a bit of a toss-up match.

Toca: So for her being in this final, for a lot of people, it’s out of nowhere. Not surprisingly if you ask me because she was due to start winning at some point. So it’s a big deal for her. She seems in a good spot right now, in a good place. She said early in the week that she likes being again under the radar, not being considered anymore the favorite. For the first time in a while she managed the situation really good, being the top seed left in the draw. She kept on winning. Madrid is a tournament she adores. So having the opportunity to win such a big title will make her give everything on court tomorrow.

KEY INFORMATION:
Tournament Level: Premier 5
Prize Money: $2,735,939
Draw Size: 56 main draw (8 byes)/32 qualifying
Qualifying Dates: Saturday, May 7 – Sunday, May 8
First Day of Main Draw: Monday, May 9
Singles Final: Sunday, May 15, 1:30 PM
Doubles Final: Sunday, May 15 (after singles final)

MUST FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
@WTA
@WTA_Insider – WTA Insider, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen
@InteBNLdItalia – official tournament handle
Get involved in conversations with the official hashtags, #ibi16 and #WTA.

TOURNAMENT NOTES:
· Three-time champion Serena Williams makes her 2016 clay court debut, and is playing just her fourth tournament of the season (Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami).
· Mutua Madrid Open winner Simona Halep is seeded to play Williams in the quarterfinals after winning her second career Premier Mandatory title.
· No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka could face Williams in the semifinals, and is playing her first event since pulling out of Madrid last week with a lower back injury.
· For the complete draw click here.

WILDCARDS:
Francesca Schiavone (ITA), Karin Knapp (ITA), Claudia Giovine (ITA)

WITHDRAWALS:
Belinda Bencic, Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki, Camila Giorgi

ROME, Italy – Defending Olympic gold medal team Serena Williams and Venus Williams took a wildcard into the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and rekindled their doubles partnership for the first time since 2014.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Rome right here on wtatennis.com!

Even though their first doubles venture in almost two years ended in a straight sets loss to the all-Slovenian team of Andreja Klepac and Katarina Srebotnik 6-1, 7-5, the Williams sisters showed flashes of the prowess that saw them win 21 titles together, including back-to-back Olympic gold medals.

Venus, who had played her opening singles match a few hours before, admitted that fatigue could have played a factor in her doubles loss.

“I haven’t done that in a long time,” Venus said in her post match press conference. “But I knew what was going to happen going into it. Even if you get tired, you have to try to ignore it. I felt okay.

“I guess I don’t have to worry about it anymore this week. Hopefully I’ll have that problem for two weeks in the French Open.That would be an awesome problem to have.”

The packed crowed on Court 1 was witness to lots of flubbed errors and mistiming from Venus and Serena – who are both also competing in singles here in Rome – as they looked to shake off the rust and narrowly avoid a shut out in the first set. They showed their grit in the second, mounting a comeback from 4-2 down, but the Slovenians closed them out to book a second-round clash against the No.2 seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova.

Despite the disappointing result, the Williams sisters have their eye on the future, including competing in Roland Garros and trying for a fourth gold medal at the Sumer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“We haven’t played doubles in a while,” Serena said in her press conference yesterday. “Obviously we would love to play in the Olympics.

“I love playing with Venus. She’s the best partner, and hopefully she feels the same about me. We make a great team.”

As the Olympic race takes shape, lots of same-country doubles teams looking to get as much doubles action in as possible. Serena and Venus are the defending gold medal team, and will likely use their combined singles rankings to gain direct entry into the 32-team draw, as explained by WTA Insider.

World No.1 Angelique Kerber admitted she was disappointed to miss out on the WTA Finals title – but she is already looking ahead to more exciting opportunities next year.

“I am a little bit disappointed after the loss, but for sure I gave everything,” she said in her post-match press conference at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“It was a tough year with a lot of matches. When I’m looking back it was one of my best years. When I go home now I will think about the best moments and the positive emotions.”

Kerber admitted that she had not played her best tennis, and praised the aggression of Dominika Cibulkova, who beat her 6-3, 6-4.

She agreed that 2016 had been physically and mentally grueling, with a packed schedule, but, as she pointed out, she also had plenty of highlights.

“I had a lot of matches, a lot of tough matches – but also a lot of great finals, a lot of great memories [that] I received this year,” she said, before adding with a smile: “Of course, now I’m ready for the vacation.”

After a short break, she will be ready to begin her 2017 campaign – when she will be defending her top-ranking status against a returning Serena Williams.

“I am looking forward to next year, for sure,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to playing again against Serena – and against all the other tough opponents.”

MADRID, Spain – Simona Halep capped off a tremendous week for Romanian tennis by winning her first title of the season at the Mutua Madrid Open, beating Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday’s final. The win was Halep’s first title since the BNP Paribas Open last year and it moves her back in the Top 5. She also rose 23 places to No.6 in the Road to Singapore.

In short, Simona Halep is back in the conversation. With the French Open around the corner, the 2014 finalist is relieved to finally be playing some of her best tennis.

WTA Insider sat down with Halep after her Madrid win.

Q: I sat down with you before the tournament and you were very hesitant to talk about your chances this week.
A: Yeah it’s amazing that I could win this tournament. I feel that I had everything in my hands, every match. I felt that I played my best tennis in every match and kind of deserving the title because I won it. I didn’t receive presents during the matches. Day by day I believed more that I had a chance to win it.

At the beginning of the tournament it’s normal to feel that you hesitate a little bit because it’s just the start and you don’t know actually what’s going to happen in the first round because the first round is always the toughest in the tournament. And after my months before coming here, it was tough to believe I could win it.

Caption this… pic.twitter.com/MeJo5zW5QP

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 29, 2016

Q: You said throughout the week that you were under the radar, people didn’t care about you anymore, your ranking was slipping. Then you put together a run with all the scorelines very much on your side.
A: That’s why I say I feel like I won the tournament. I played amazing tennis every day and day-by-day I played better tennis. In the final I played very well, she played as well good tennis. It wasn’t easy, but it looked like it was easy.

Q: You made it look easy.
A: I made it easy. Now I don’t feel tired so that means I was relaxed. I was just with my mind to play tennis, not about the result or something else. Just enjoying and just showing what I have practiced.

Q: Before the tournament you said your only goal this week was to get matches, that it was not about the trophy. Did that mentality change at some point this week?
A: No. It was permanent in my mind, in my heart, in my hands, in my body. I felt that I just want to go on court to win the match. Nothing else. Today actually was different because I played for the trophy. I had emotions before but I knew how to manage them. I had the experience playing here the finals. That final in 2014 made today easier.

Q: What do you mean? How did that final against Maria Sharapova prepare you for today?
A: I felt that I can lose it, because I lost it once. Nothing happened after.

Q: The sun came up? The world kept going?
A: Yeah. Now I said I have to be different from that day. That day I couldn’t be relaxed because I was with a lot of pressure that I have to win it. Now I said that the match is open and I have just to go and play my best, which I did. I think I did it pretty well and I did it pretty relaxed.

Q: The word “relaxed” comes up often with you. You play your best tennis when you’re relaxed. Have you discovered the key to keeping yourself relaxed?
A: No, it’s not about the key. It’s about how I see things. I was not thinking about the result at all. Even if I played the final today I didn’t care if I win or lose. I just wanted to go on court and win the match, specifically the match, not the fact that it was a final.

Q: Not the title.
A: Just the match.

Where's Waldo? A rowdy thank you with @MutuaMadridOpen volunteers. pic.twitter.com/UcgJM5mJ1i

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) May 7, 2016

Q: You and coach Darren Cahill arrived in Madrid fairly early. That’s not always a luxury before big tournaments. Lots of times tournaments are back-to-back and you’re arriving late. I’m thinking of Indian Wells to Miami, or going from Fed Cup to Stuttgart. How did that impact your week?
A: We arrived on Tuesday. I had many days training with Darren. I wanted that. I asked him actually when he made the schedule in January that I wanted this week to prepare with him here in Madrid. So I knew what I want to do.

It’s much better to come a few days earlier. You feel the courts, you feel the atmosphere of the tournament, and you feel like you are into it already when the tournament starts. It made the things easier. It made me feel like I was already here from a long time ago. So that’s why I felt very well straight away in the first match.

Q: You’ve now won Indian Wells and Madrid, your two biggest titles. Both tournaments are known for having difficult conditions, where the ball can fly. Do you see a connection there or are those just two tournaments you happened to win.
A: I don’t know.

Q: Do you like those conditions?
A: I do. I like it.

Q: A lot of people have problems controlling the ball.
A: No, doesn’t bother me. I like these conditions. I felt well. Everything went well.

Q: How aware are you of how big of a story this week was back home in Romania, with you winning the title and three other women – Irina-Camelia Begu, Sorana Cirstea, and Patricia Maria Tig – making the quarterfinals?
A: I don’t know, I didn’t read anything since a long time ago and I’m not going to start to read again. I heard a tough story about my joke about “the Easter present” about the second set [bagel against Begu]. They make everything negative so I’m not going to read.

But in my opinion it’s a big thing that many Romanians are playing in the last matches here in this tournament – also men’s doubles – so it’s a good point point for our country and maybe it will help our juniors.

Q: How do you plan to celebrate?
A: I don’t know. I have no idea.

Halep hands out beers to the press corp. Joked yesterday she'd buy everyone a round in honor of 4 Romanians in QF. pic.twitter.com/MQobAzoxkp

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) May 6, 2016

Q: Are you going to take back one of those beers you gave us?
A: I don’t like beer. Maybe I will drink something else but I don’t know what [laughs]. First I need to calm down a little bit because I’m really excited and then maybe we’ll go into the city somewhere to celebrate.

Q: Much deserved. Congratulations. See you in Rome.
A: See you in Rome!

Listen to more of Halep’s thoughts in the latest episode of the WTA Insider Podcast:

SINGAPORE – Dominika Cibulkova stunned World No.1 Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-4 to win the biggest title of her career at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The win vaults the 27-year-old to a career-high No.5 in the rankings and snapped a five-match losing streak to the German.

Three thoughts on a dramatic end to the WTA Finals:

– In a season defined by small margins, Dominika Cibulkova proved the poster-child.

The 2016 season kicked off in earnest when Kerber, then-ranked No.6, survived match point down to Misaki Doi in the first round of the Australian Open, only to go on and stun No.1 Serena Williams to win the biggest title of her career.

Then comes Cibulkova, who survived the group stage in the rarest of circumstances, needing to beat Simona Halep in straight sets in her final match while also needing Kerber to beat Madison Keys in straight sets to put her through. It was the only scenario out of 16 on that day that would move the Slovak into the knockout phase and she pulled it off.

From there Cibulkova battled her way through the title, beating Svetlana Kuznetsova in three tough sets and then play her best match of the tournament to outplay Kerber, winning both matches on let-cord winners.

In a dramatic final game, Cibulkova nervously squandered two Championship Points from 40-15 up only to engage in jaw-dropping rally after jaw-dropping rally.

Just remarkable drama and stuff from both players. #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/Mfmo3L0aJg

— WTA (@WTA) October 30, 2016

Jaw dropping stuff! @Cibulkova saves break point. #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/OPnFEZDmmo

— WTA (@WTA) October 30, 2016

In the face of Kerber’s relentless defense, Cibulkova did what she had done all week. She gripped and ripped and hit through her nerves. Her bravery was finally rewarded on her fourth Championship Point, when she fired a desperate forehand that ticked the top of the net. The ball was suspended in air for what felt like seconds as both women waited to see which side of the net it would favor.

What a way to end! @Cibulkova is the @WTAFinalsSG champion for 2016 #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/vCsPM8D0qy

— WTA (@WTA) October 30, 2016

It fell on Kerber’s side of the court. Cibulkova fell to the ground in disbelief. As the old cliché goes, fortune favors the brave. And there was none braver in Singapore than the smallest woman in the field.

– Cibulkova turns the page on a nervous past.

Cibulkova is a veteran of the tour, part of the generation of players that includes Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, and Agnieszka Radwanska. Watching her over the years the tension would be a constant during her matches and the nerves would kick in at the most inopportune time.

That was old Domi. Welcome the new Domi.

“On the court I put a lot of emotions, and emotions just affect me,” Cibulkova explained. “This is something I started to learn how to deal with emotions and not let down myself; just to keep focused, and this is all about. I really work hard on it.

“Now I see this mental part for me, it’s like going to practice and actually practice on the court. As I practice on the court I practice on these things. As you can see, it’s working.

Cibulkova’s 2016 has been all about conquering the mental side of the game. She’s always been, pound for pound, the biggest hitter in the game. But her emotions could get the best of her and the rest of the locker room knew. She often wanted it too much and would strangle the life out of potentially career-defining wins.

Cibulkova tried to address the issue by hiring a mental coach a year and a half ago. The question was simple: how can she balance her ambition without being blinded by it? Over the last 16 months she has proven her mettle, whether it was getting the best of Radwanska in an epic three-set battle at Wimbledon, or coming through in her Singapore qualifying campaign by making the Dongfeng Wuhan Open final, winning the Generali Ladies Linz in a must-win campaign, or scrapping through to advance to the semifinals in Singapore.

The nerves looked like they might get the better of her in her first two Championship Points in the final. Instead of panicking after her shock misses, she shot a smile both to her box and to herself. That moment of relaxation allowed her gutsiest tennis to come through in the end.

“I don’t blame myself that I got a little bit nervous on the first two match points, because I think only very, very few people wouldn’t get when you have a match point for the biggest tournament of your career.

“But the way I handle it after, it shows that I really change. I belong there and I’m really, really strong.”

– Kerber comes up short but Singapore was still a breakthrough.

Before this year, Kerber had never made it out of the group stage at the WTA Finals. She conquered that milestone by going undefeated in the Red Group this year. In a high-pressure match against No.2 seed and defending champion Radwanska, she lost just three games. But on a day when she did not have her best, she finally ran into an inspired opponent.

This is not the first time this has happened to Kerber this season. In two big finals this season, at the Rio Olympics and Western & Southern Open, she looked to be cruising towards victory before the nothing-to-lose swinging of her opponent felled her.

“She has the best defensive game for now in the world,” Cibulkova said. “But I knew I have my shots that I can beat her with; that was my forehand today. My serve today, I was serving really, really well. Few games I played with my serve and I then was going for my forehand.

“I just knew what I have to do. I think I didn’t let her into the match really today with my aggressive game. I had just one goal. I was going after it. I think it was tough for her to do something on the court today.”

But despite the loss, Kerber finishes her 2016 season with another message to the field. She won more majors and more matches than any other woman this season. She was the tour’s most consistent winner and her balance of counter-punching and defense made her the toughest out in tennis.

To beat her in a big match you have to seize the match from her vice-like grip, hope she’s off her game, and play one of the best matches of your career. That’s precisely what Cibulkova did on Sunday night in Singapore. And there was nothing more for Kerber to do than tip her cap.

“I gave everything,” Kerber said. “I mean, it was a tough year with a lot of matches, so I give everything on court today, the rest energy I had left.

“Of course when I’m looking back it’s one of my best years. I think when I will go home now I will just think about the best moments and the positive emotions.”