Kristina Mladenovic & Yulia Putintseva Practice In St. Petersburg
Watch finalists Kristina Mladenovic and Yulia Putintseva’s practice sessions at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Watch finalists Kristina Mladenovic and Yulia Putintseva’s practice sessions at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Introducing the latest WTA challenge for 2017, as Daria Gavrilova sets the bar for how quickly players can race to the net and back – who will win the WTA Net Dash?
The Fed Cup gets underway this week – and the WTA players are enjoying getting together with their compatriots.
Kristina Mladenovic and her France teammates Alizé Cornet and Pauline Parmentier posed alongside captain Yannick Noah after their press conference.
Le #TeamFranceTennis en conférence de presse “pre-draw”.Ensemble! @FedCup @KikiMladenovic @ppauline86 @alizecornet @NoahYannick pic.twitter.com/OMzbDi4R7J
— FFT (@FFTennis) February 8, 2017
Mladenovic, fresh from her win in St. Petersburg last week, lifted the Hopman Cup last month alongside Richard Gasquet.
The France squad were speaking to the media ahead of their tie against Switzerland.
#predraw #pressconference #FRA “It will be an interesting tie against Switzerland” @KikiMladenovic @FedCup pic.twitter.com/ysg95bYz1S
— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) February 8, 2017
Meanwhile, Anita Husaric tweeted a picture of the Bosnia and Herzegovina players on court as they prepared to take on Croatia.
Ready and excited about our first match tomorrow against Croatia! ???? #fedcup #teambih pic.twitter.com/Kabc0h66oB
— Anita Husaric (@AnitaHusaric) February 7, 2017
And Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty were pleased to know they weren’t expected to take on Ukraine on this particular court.
No, the #FedCup tie Aus v Ukraine is not being held on this tennis court @caseydellacqua & @ashbar96 #snowbunnies pic.twitter.com/1hZceDWym1
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) February 7, 2017
STANFORD, CA, USA – No.7 seed Alizé Cornet was taken to the brink in the first round of the Bank of the West Classic, but rallied from a set down to dispatch American Jennifer Brady, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, in two hours and 44 minutes.
Watch live action from Stanford this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
“I always wanted to come here to Stanford, but somehow I was always ending up in Washington, maybe because it was closer!” Cornet joked with Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview.
“But this time I really don’t regret it because I really love this place. It’s amazing, and a lot of champions have won the tournament, so I hope to go as far as I can.”
Playing her first match since reaching the third round of Wimbledon, Cornet fell behind 4-0 in the opening set and couldn’t quite catch up to Brady, who broke serve in a marathon game to put herself one set away from a first-ever WTA main draw win – though she reached the semifinals of a WTA 125K Series event in San Diego last fall.
“I just kept fighting. She was playing really well, big serve and forehand.
“I had some trouble in the beginning of the match; I was really tense and the ball was coming really fast against me. But I just kept trying to hang in there, and try to give my best every point.”
Only one break separated the two in the second set, which Cornet took in another dramatic game to level the match. Racing out to a 5-2 lead in the decider, Brady made one last surge to force the Frenchwoman to serve out her spot in the second round. Clinching the contest with a classic one-two punch, booked a second round meeting with Zheng Saisai, who was the first winner of the day over wildcard Maria Mateas, 7-5, 6-1.
“In the end it was really really close, and I went for it and it worked out, so I’m really happy to be in the second round.”
The night session features an all-Stanford battle between former All-American Nicole Gibbs and Carol Zhao, who helped the university win the 2016 NCAA Championships.
More to come…
BASTAD, Sweden – With six years on the WTA calendar, the Ericsson Open in Bastad certainly knows a thing or two about what it takes to put on a great event. And the players seem to agree, having voted the International-level event as the WTA Tournament Of The Year for three of the last four years.
So what makes a perfect tournament? We asked the Ericsson Open’s top seeds and former champions – Angelique Kerber, Sara Errani, Johanna Larsson, Annika Beck and Polona Hercog – why they keep coming back to Bastad year after year. Here’s what they had to say.
1. A priceless view.
The Ericsson Open is staged at the Bastad Tennis Stadium, just a few hundred yards from the popular Bastad Beach along the Kattegatt Sea. Having the coast within walking distance gives players (and fans) plenty of chances to unwind.
Kerber: Bastad is a really special tournament, especially because it’s on the sea and for me the sea is really important; I grew up on the sea.
Beck: I’ve been here the last two years, so I’ve got good memories here. Especially if the weather is nice, you get some time off and you can go to the sea and relax and enjoy your time here.
2. Incredible, top-notch staff.
One common factor that all players highlighted was Bastad’s top-notch and ultra-attentive staff.
Kerber: What is really important as well for players is that all the staff and the tournament director and everybody is so friendly. They are taking care of you, and this is why it really feels like home. That’s why this tournament is one of the best tournaments of the calendar.
Barthel: All the people are really nice and friendly, always trying to make your time the best here. That’s what you feel in all the details and I feel like home here.
Larsson: I think this tournament is absolutely amazing. It’s been voted Tournament Of The Year because we deserve it! For the players it’s obviously unbelievable because I think everyone in the staff is very friendly and always trying to help each and every player.
SEB-ball kids are having fun during the rain delay! Always ready! ???#sebbollkallarna #båstad #centercourt #raindel… pic.twitter.com/pL9rZgjklY
— Swedish Open Tennis (@swedish_open) July 18, 2016
3. Location, location, location.
What’s more convenient than having the player hotel close to the tournament site? How about having it right behind center court?
Errani: For us, it’s amazing. We can sleep right here and just walk to the courts and play. It’s very easy for us. And it’s amazing, the beach and everything. A bit cold, though, but amazing!
Larsson: You have the facilities that are top notch, you have the rooms here – I mean, the hotel is just next to the Center Court. It makes it very convenient for the players, I think that’s a very good reason why we love this event.
4. An awesome crowd of fans.
Barthel: The stadium is really nice and the people watching are always nice. They’re supporting you. I feel at home. You know, I have a special relationship to Sweden, so it makes it even more special for me here. I always love to come back here.
Beck: The crowd is amazing, the Center Court is beautiful. There’s nothing to complain about in this tournament!
He actually loves #ericssonopen and we love #hughgrant @wta #tennis #båstad #allintennis #wta. pic.twitter.com/RYlL4qo8MN
— Swedish Open Tennis (@swedish_open) July 19, 2016
– All photos courtesy of Ericsson Open
Fed Cup stalwarts Barbora Strycova and Karolina Pliskova clinched an unassailable 3-1 lead for defending champs Czech Republic over Spain.
Here’s a full run down of the World Group I ties as they unfolded on Day 2:
?? is into the #FedCup semis! It won in front of its fans who always make a huge difference & are the 5th team member! #WeAreCzechRepublic pic.twitter.com/SR3qIncW4K
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017
Czech Republic 3-1 Spain
Pliskova kicked off the first reverse singles rubber against Garbiñe Muguruza after both emerged victorious in their opening matches on Saturday.
Playing at home in Ostrava, Pliskova had plenty of reason to feel confident after winning four of her last five matches over the reigning French Open champion.
After an hour on court, the Czech powerhouse put down the hammer on Muguruza, winning almost twice as many points and breaking serve five times for a 6-2, 6-2 win.
“My tennis was much better than it was yesterday so I enjoyed it more today,” said last year’s US Open runner-up. “I think she [Muguruza] doesn’t like a fast game because she likes to dictate.
“I was serving well and you cannot do much about it if someone is serving well.”
#CZEESP @BaraStrycova celebrates after sealing ??'s place in the 2017 #FedCup semifinals pic.twitter.com/nxqluv1spZ
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017
Next up was Strycova, who played a critical role in clinching the Czech team’s third straight Fed Cup title over France. Up against Lara Arruabarrena, the veteran smacked a whopping 33 winners to just 21 unforced errors to assure victory with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph.
“This one was very tough for me,” Strycova said after the match. “I was leading 5-2 and two match points; I felt like I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but I couldn’t take the extra step. I tried some different things at the end and it worked!”
“I’m very glad that we got through,” remarked Czech captain Petr Pala. “Even in the first match the score looked quite easy but it was quite tight in the beginning and Karolina put in a great performance and showed she is a great Fed Cup player.
“The second match was tighter. Barbora was using the crowd and the crowd helped us a lot. It wasn’t an easy decision for us to play her today because normally she would play doubles.”
Standing between the Czechs and a fourth straight final will be either the USA or Germany.
BELARUS WINS!!! Aryna #Sabalenka defeats #Krajicek 76(5) 64 and ?? is into the #FedCup semifinals for the first time in its history! pic.twitter.com/kTkFmwOsYq
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017
Switzerland 3-1 France
Timea Bacsinszky turned the tables on St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy champion Kristina Mladenovic to help lead Switzerland into a second straight Fed Cup semifinal.
#SUIFRA @TimeaOfficial knows how to handle pressure on-court, but how will she deal with our reporter @eliweinstein's quickfire questions? pic.twitter.com/Vesy4uGoY9
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017
Bacsinszky recovered from a tumble to keep Mladenovic from a second straight win over the weekend with an impressive 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-5 win to make the Swiss team anything but neutral.
“I looked really unlucky this week with the medical timeouts, but I fell and injured my knee,” she said after the match. “That took me away from tennis for three months last year and so I needed an extra check. In the moment, it’s tough becuase you care about your health, see the whole year and don’t want to be injured. But I’m ok.
Leading 5-2 in the final set, Mladenovic quickly leveled the decider but the Olympic Silver medalist closed the door in front of her home fans.
“I was just telling myself how privileged I am to play a match like this, and wasn’t focused on who was going to win. I’m just so lucky to be playing tennis in front of my country, carrying the Swiss flag.
“It could have gone either way because she played so well at the end. But we both deserved to win because it was such high quality.”
In the critical fourth rubber, Belinda Bencic dismissed substitute Pauline Parmentier, 6-3, 6-4, to book an encounter against surprise semifinalists, Belarus.
#emotions ?????? pic.twitter.com/1OvyN5q92f
— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) February 12, 2017
Belarus 4-1 Netherlands
In a battle of underdogs teams, Belarus roared through the final three rubbers of the tie oust the Netherlands for an emphatic win in Minsk.
After Kiki Bertens helped level the tie on Saturday, Aliaksandra Sasnovich stunned the 2016 French Open semifinalist, 6-3, 6-4 to turn the tie on its head.
#BLRNED #Sasnovich takes the opening set 63 against #Bertens! Can she push on and give ?? a 2-1 lead in the tie? pic.twitter.com/oSQirdlgZq
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017
Armed with the momentum, Belarus played Aryna Sabalenka, a 19-year-old playing in just her second Fed Cup tie – and only her second singles rubber. Recovering from her loss to Bertens, Sabalenka dispatched Michaella Krajicek, 7-6(5), 6-4 to clinch her country’s first semifinal in Fed Cup history.
BELARUS WINS!!! Aryna #Sabalenka defeats #Krajicek 76(5) 64 and ?? is into the #FedCup semifinals for the first time in its history! pic.twitter.com/kTkFmwOsYq
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017
More to come…
Dominika Cibulkova had Thursday’s shot of the day at the Bank of the West Classic.
Preview the action at the Qatar Total Open in Doha, where 470 ranking points are at stake for the winner.
STANFORD, CA, USA – Former No.1 Venus Williams put on a vintage performance to dismiss 17-year-old wildcard Catherine Bellis, 6-4, 6-1, to reach the semifinals of the Bank of the West Classic.
Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Bellis was playing in her first-ever WTA quarterfinal, and her quest to become the sixth youngest woman to defeat the five-time Wimbledon winner (at 17 years, 105 days old) was boosted by an opening service break.
The top seed quickly took the break back, however, and remained in the driver’s seat throughout the 61 minute masterclass. Breaking serve once more with a thunderous backhand winner down the line, Williams clinched the opening set and lost just one more game to guarantee the Top 3 seeds advanced into the semifinals.
Into her eighth career Stanford semi, Venus next faces fellow American Alison Riske, who was up a set on No.4 seed CoCo Vandeweghe when her higher ranked opponent turned her ankle and was forced to retire one game into the second.
More to come…
STANFORD, CA, USA – Dominika Cibulkova defeated Misaki Doi at the Bank of the West Classic on Friday to tick off another major accomplishment in an already highly successful summer.
Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
The past few months have already brought Cibulkova significant moments on and off the court, and her 7-5, 6-0 victory over Doi confirmed that on Monday morning she will return to the Top 10 for the first time in over 18 months.
Cibulkova first broke into the Top 10 shortly after her run to the Australian Open final in 2014, staying there until Achilles surgery laid her low at the start of the following year. This star quality has been evident for much of 2016, a WTA-leading 37 wins, two titles and a Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance prompting a charge up the rankings.
Against Doi, it took a while for her class to shine through. But when the Slovak eventually acclimatized to her opponent’s frantic pace – and the sweltering conditions – she did so emphatically: a run of 11 straight games setting up a semifinal meeting with No.3 seed Johanna Konta.
“Today was really, really tough. She was playing fast from the first ball, but once I found out what I needed to do to win I was doing the right thing all the way through the match,” Cibulkova, who lifted the Stanford title three years ago, said. “I know the court, I know the balls, I know what I have to do to go all the way here.”
Like Cibulkova, Konta was forced to ride out some rocky moments against Zheng Saisai, recovering from a break down in the final set to win, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
“I think the level of tennis really took its toll on me – she made it incredibly tough to play the way I wanted to play – so I was very glad I was able to string some points together in the third set,” Konta said.