Konta: Great Britain Won't Underestimate Anyone
Great Britain open their Fed Cup campaign this week in Estonia – and Johanna Konta says they won’t be underestimating anyone as they look to progress from the Europe/Africa zone.
Great Britain open their Fed Cup campaign this week in Estonia – and Johanna Konta says they won’t be underestimating anyone as they look to progress from the Europe/Africa zone.
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska before the start of the BNP Paribas Open.
TALLINN, Estonia – Johanna Konta fought back from set a down to seal Great Britain’s place in the Fed Cup promotion play-off on Saturday.
The World No.10 and Heather Watson helped the British team beat Portugal 3-0 on Wednesday and Latvia by the same score on Thursday before facing Turkey in the final Pool C match today.
Watson, the World No.72, comfortably overcame Ipek Soylu 6-0 6-1 in the opener but says the match was deceptively hard.
“The score was 6-0 6-1, but it felt a lot closer than that in the games and she’s a good player but today I just felt that I was pretty flawless,” she explained after the match.
High ?! @HeatherWatson92 celebrates her brilliant win over Turkey in the @FedCup #BackTheBrits ????? pic.twitter.com/Q45lpUi0m9
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) February 10, 2017
Konta was made to work harder for her success. After taking a 5-3 lead in the first set against Cagla Buyukakcay, Konta lost four straight games to hand the World No.86 the opening set.
But the 25-year-old raised her game after that setback to close out a 5-7 6-4 6-3 win and victory in the tie ahead of the final doubles match.
“I’m just really happy to come through that,” she said. “It wasn’t easy and she definitely played herself into the match and to give us the opportunity to go into the play-off tomorrow, I’m very happy for us and the team.”
? fight back complete! @JoKonta91 battles past Buyukakcay 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 to keep the 100% record going #BackTheBrits ?? pic.twitter.com/Df1g6uSzzA
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) February 10, 2017
Britain will face either face Hungary or Croatia for the prize of a World Group II play-off in April.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Christina McHale caused a minor shock in the bottom half of the draw at the BNP Paribas Open, knocking out Caroline Garcia in straight sets.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
In Thursday’s second match on Stadium 1, McHale produced an impressive display to defeat the higher-ranked Garcia, 6-4, 6-4.
McHale made the perfect start, securing a break to love in the first game when she skipped around to punch a forehand winner. However, the cornerstone of her victory was the serve, which bailed her out of trouble at several crucial junctures.
Serving for the opening set, the American sent a stinging serve out wide to erase the second of two break points, before a couple more well-placed deliveries got her safely to the changeover.
“I knew I had to serve well because Caroline is so aggressive and I knew I had to get a lot of first serves in today, and it worked today so I’m excited,” McHale said.
Although there were a few empty seats in the stands, those present certainly made their presence felt, helping McHale withstand a late Garcia rally.
“You guys helped me pull through that match. I love the atmosphere and I love being at Indian Wells!”
Her reward is a meeting with No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, a player whom she has enjoyed mixed fortunes against: “I actually lost to her the last time we played and she’s obviously playing really, really well. I’ll try to play my best tennis and I’m looking forward to that match.”
Other early winners in their section included Yanina Wickmayer, Magdalena Rybarikova and Lauren Davis.
Rybarikova ended Laura Robson’s return to top tier tennis with a 7-6(3), 6-2 win, while Davis defeated Nao Hibino, 6-2, 6-4. Wickmayer’s path into the second round was less straightforward, hauling herself back after a nightmare start to defeat Polona Hercog, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4.
TALLINN, Estonia – Great Britain are through to the Fed Cup World Group II play-offs after a nerve-wracking tie against Croatia, with Heather Watson and Johanna Konta emerging victorious in the deciding doubles rubber.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic,” team captain Anne Keothavong told the LTA after the tie. “It’s been a real emotional rollercoaster, but the way the girls performed today and throughout the whole week, I’m just so proud of them.
“It wasn’t easy today against Croatia with it coming down to the deciding doubles. It was so tight, everyone was on the edge of their seats. But they fought their hearts out and played with so much passion out there. I’m so proud of them.”
Watson, who didn’t drop a set all week long against Turkey, Latvia and Portugal, kept her streak intact against Croatia as well, sweeping past Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-4 in the hour-and-20-minute opener.
But with Great Britain one win away from clinching the tie, 19-year-old Ana Konjuh stunned World No.10 Konta to keep Croatia alive, 6-4, 6-3.
A last-minute team change by team captain Keothavong had Watson and Konta back out on court for the deciding doubles rubber, replacing the undefeated Jocelyn Rae and Laura Robson against Konjuh and Darija Jurak.
Konjuh and Jurak took the opening set in just 26 minutes against to earn a lead against the British pair, but they rallied back to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory to book Britain’s spot in April’s World Group II play-offs.
“It’s safe to say we are all very happy,” Watson said to the LTA, grinning with her teammates afterwards. “That was really tough, all of our matches today were. Croatia are a strong country, and I think we all played great tennis all the way from start to finish.”
Konta added, “It was tough going back out after having lost my singles rubber, but having all the girls supporting me – Laura and Jocelyn, they made a lot of noise courtside – it helped.
“And we can’t forget all those other ties before this one. The fact that we were able to win our group undefeated, that’s a massive achievement for us.”
SQUAD. So proud to be a part of this team! Playoffs here we come ???? pic.twitter.com/LS05qz8yXm
— Laura Robson (@laurarobson5) 11 de febrero de 2017
More to follow…
As Agnieszka Radwanska and Roberta Vinci worked their magic in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open, few were more enthusiastically spellbound than colleague, Kristina Mladenovic.
A longtime fixture of the tennis fan community on Twitter – colloquially known as Tennis Twitter – the French No.1 tweeted her thoughts on the nearly two-hour epic, which Radwanska won, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, after she and Vinci came to net a stunning 101 times over three sets.
Loving this match between @roberta_vinci & @ARadwanska! So much variety tennis & both literally ending every single points at the net?#doha
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) February 25, 2016
Ok ladies this is sick tennis.
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) February 25, 2016
“It can be a WTA or ATP match,” she said during the BNP Paribas Open draw ceremony. “If I have time and a match looks interesting, I’ll go on the app and watch. It’s fun to applaud great tennis, so why not?
“It’s not just about me and what I am doing!”
Seeded No.27 in Indian Wells – and projected to play World No.1 Serena Williams in the third round – Mladenovic enjoyed a stellar 2015 season that saw her climb from a February low of No.74 all the way into the Top 30.
But success hasn’t driven the 22-year-old away from social media; as the world watched the Vinci mount her unforgettable upset over Williams at the US Open, Mladenovic’s own commentary could hardly be contained by 140 characters – all a mere 72 hours after the Italian veteran had ended her own career-best Grand Slam run in the quarterfinals.
Whatever happens now I kind of feel a bit better about my loss… ? #usopen
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) September 11, 2015
Serena is one of the greatest if not the best ever! But brava @roberta_vinci such a talented&great player and a nice person too she deserves
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) September 11, 2015
“These days, Twitter is almost like a news channel. You wake up in the morning and go on your phone to see what everyone is up to. I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to social media, but I just put myself in the position of the fans.”
Frequently engaging with fans across the globe, Mladenovic often appears online with a flurry of retweets following a match, gregariously reposting screencaps or videos, many of which display the Frenchwoman’s penchant for on-court flair.
“I wish that when I was younger I could have known more about the lives of my idols. What is their day like? What do they do away from tennis? Social media is just a great way to really get behind the scenes and get to know the personalities of the players.
“It keeps the fans engaged, even if they can’t attend a tournament in person, and helps to build a great connection.”
Mladenovic will likely continue to build connections in 2016, both as a USANA Brand Ambassador and as one half of a fast-rising dynamic duo with friend and Fed Cup teammate, Caroline Garcia.
Started off with a shoot with @TeamUSANA at #BNPPO16 #USANAwta #usana @WTA @USANAinc pic.twitter.com/LGKHNVpDwG
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) March 7, 2016
“I have been using USANA vitamins and supplements for a few years and have seen the difference that it has made in my health and fitness. I’m looking forward to sharing my positive experience with others and letting them know what USANA can do for them.”
Already a major champion in mixed doubles – winning Wimbledon alongside Daniel Nestor in 2013 – the Frenchwoman peaked at No.5 on the doubles rankings last spring after she and then-partner Timea Babos became the only team to defeat the all-but-unstoppable Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza in a final to win the Internazionali BNL D’Italia.
Happy to announce my new partnership in doubles with @CaroGarcia for 2016! Exciting goals ahead of us! ???? pic.twitter.com/06M5slawJT
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) November 25, 2015
Making her BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global debut to end the 2015 season, Mladenovic decided to partner with Garcia ahead of the Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro – a move that as already yielded two finals at the Apia International Sydney and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
“We already had great doubles partners – me with Timea and Caroline with Katarina Srebotnik – both great players and friends. But as countrywomen from the same generation, and with similar goals, we have a great opportunity.
“We’re really lucky to be from the same country and in this position to play together, not just with regard to the Olympics, which would be amazing, but there are exciting tournaments, week after week on the tour.
“Of course, to win a medal for France at the Olympics would be a huge thing, an amazing achievement for any athlete.
Their biggest struggle thus far? Deciding on a team name.
Any suggestions for a team name for @CaroGarcia and @KikiMladenovic? #KikiCaro perhaps? #SydneyTennis #7Tennis https://t.co/UT1DOvbC4v
— 7Tennis (@7tennis) January 15, 2016
“The reaction from fans so far has been great. We’ve really noticed the buzz about us playing together, and we think at Roland Garros in particular it’s going to be very exciting.”
An interview with Serena Williams before the start of the BNP Paribas Open.
Camila Giorgi made quick work of local wildcard Han Na-Lae to reach the second round of the Korea Open in straight sets; No.8 seed Louisa Chirico also advanced.
Highlights from first round action at the BNP Paribas Open.
An interview with Serena Williams after her win in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.