Indian Wells: Venus Williams vs Jelena Jankovic
Venus Williams takes on Jelena Jankovic in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Venus Williams takes on Jelena Jankovic in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.
SINGAPORE – The World No.2 doubles team of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic has qualified for this year’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the WTA’s year-end event that brings together the Top 8 singles players and doubles teams to compete for $7 million in prize money.
Ticket packages for the WTA Finals are already available!
“It was one of our goals when we started to play together to qualify for the WTA Finals,” Garcia said. “We are always improving and I am looking forward to competing in Singapore again.”
“We are excited and happy to have qualified,” Mladenovic added. “It’s a dream come true to qualify and celebrate the great year we’ve had.”
Garcia and Mladenovic began their partnership this year and together have reached six finals. The French duo started the season with a final appearance at the Apia International Sydney, then continued their success with another final appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. They went on to win in their next four WTA doubles finals appearances at the Volvo Car Open (Charleston), Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart), Mutua Madrid Open and Roland Garros. As a result, they have earned the second slot in the doubles field, joining Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza at the WTA Finals Singapore.
“Congratulations to Caroline and Kristina on what has been a fantastic season, earning them a spot at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global,” said WTA CEO Steve Simon. “These exciting players have achieved great success in doubles this year, and we are very excited that they will be joining us in Singapore to compete for the most prestigious title on the WTA tour.”
Here is the current doubles Road to Singapore Leaderboard:
1. Martina Hingis (SUI) / Sania Mirza (IND) – Qualified
2. Caroline Garcia (FRA) / Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) – Qualified
3. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) / Elena Vesnina (RUS)
4. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) / Tima Babos (HUN)
5. Chan Hao-Ching (TPE) / Chan Yung-Jan (TPE)
6. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) / Lucie Hradecka (CZE)
7. Julia Goerges (GER) / Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
8. Xu Yifan (CHN) / Zheng Saisai (CHN)
9. Raquel Atawo (USA) / Abigail Spears (USA)
10. Venus Williams (USA) / Serena Williams (USA)
The doubles competition will begin in Singapore on October 27 and is a single elimination contest between the Top 8 doubles teams of the 2016 season, all vying to hold the Martina Navratilova Doubles Trophy.
For the latest updates and insights, follow on Twitter (@WTAFinalsSG), Facebook (facebook.com/WTAFinalsSG) and Instagram (@WTAFinalsSG).
Karolina Pliskova reflects on her display at the BNP Paribas Open.
WTA Insider | On the latest WTA Insider Live Blog, the quarterfinals conclude at the US Open; can World No.1 Serena Williams overcome an in-form Simona Halep under the lights?
Venus Williams takes on Lucie Safarova at the BNP Paribas Open.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.10 seed Karolina Pliskova reached her first Grand Slam final in style, shocking top seed Serena Williams, 6-2, 7-6(5) in the semifinals of the US Open.
“It was always a dream to, you know, get a title, get to the semifinal, get to the final,” Pliskova said in her post-match press conference. “So, I mean, it’s a big result for me. I hope I didn’t stop yet, that there is still one more step to go. I’ll do anything for getting the title.
“Even if I don’t get it, it’s a big result. I’m really happy to be there and even have the chance to play in the final here. It doesn’t happen often that you’re playing a semifinal against Serena on center court here in New York. It doesn’t happen often that you’re in the final of Grand Slams.”
Pliskova came into her first major semifinal having won her last 10 matches, dating back to a title run at the Western & Southern Open; the 2016 WTA ace leader was in ruthless form on serve against Serena, striking seven aces and winning 84% of first serve points.
“I was pretty calm today. Before the match I felt a little bit like pressure, nervous. But when I stepped on the court I didn’t feel anything. I just wanted to win. Not just enjoy but to win.
“I knew I’m going to have my chances even if she’s playing her best. There is always a chance in those two sets. I was calm during the whole match. Even in the second set there was some complications. I was up a break.
“But it never can be so easy to play No.1 in the world. You cannot win, 6-2, 6-1, so I wasn’t expecting a match like this. I was prepared for anything, even if I would have lose the second set I would be ready for the third.”
Serena, by contrast, had just won an epic match over No.5 seed Simona Halep less than 24 hours ago, and appeared to struggle with a left leg injury that was later confirmed by coach Patrick Mourataglou. Pushing Pliskova into a second set tie-break, the World No.1 threw in a sixth double fault to end the contest after just 85 minutes.
“I have been having some serious left knee problems,” Serena said after the match. “I wasn’t tired. Fatigue had absolutely nothing to do with it. If I was tired I should definitely get into a new career.
“I think she’s been on tour for numerous years and she’s had some good wins. She was doing so well last year, was so close in so many finals, and I think maybe this was her year to really do well, at least here at the Open.”
“I always knew I had a chance to beat anyone if I'm playing my game. Serena, she's a champion.” – #Pliskova #usopen pic.twitter.com/Wncj45M3oM
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2016
Still, it was a banner day for the Czech powerhouse, who played flawless tennis throughout and showed off her improved mobility to hit 19 winners to just 25 unforced errors. Serena hit one more winner but six more errors and only managed to engineer one break point on the Pliskova serve. Pliskova became the eighth woman ever to defeat both Williams sisters in the same tournament, and the fourth to do it at a major tournament.
“There is not more than to beat both sisters in one tournament in New York,” Pkiskova said. “I’m really excited about those two wins.
“For the crowd, it’s not probably the best that I beat both of them in their country, but for me it’s really something special. Obviously the match with Venus helped me, not only with the game, but also with the crowd, also. It was my first match on center court, so I knew I was to play center court one of the Williams sisters against all the people there. I was prepared for it. I was prepared for a fast game, for great serving, and probably it helped me.
“That’s maybe why I won the match today.”
Up next for the 24-year-old is either No.2 seed Angelique Kerber – the new World No.1 after Serena’s loss – or former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki. Pliskova beat Kerber in the final of Cincinnati just two weeks ago, ironically preventing the German from hitting No.1 earlier.
“If I play Kerber tomorrow I’ll know her very well. We played a lot of times. I lost to her; I won. So I will be ready for anything. That’s a final of a Grand Slam, so anything is possible. Of course, probably nerves from both sides. We both have a good chance to win.
“But I will just do anything to win the title here.”
.@KaPliskova pulled out all the stops to defeat #Serena tonight, including shots like this. #usopen @MBUSA https://t.co/9tJzXImL85
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2016
Highlights from the fourth-round match at the BNP Paribas Open between Caroline Wozniacki and Madison Keys.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova takes on Dominika Cibulkova in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.
One month after she officially announced her intent to return to the BNP Paribas Open for the first time since 2001, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams wrote at length about her decision and close bond with her sister, World No.1 Serena Williams, in the Players Tribune.
“Being the big sister,” she said, “I didn’t take that responsibility lightly. I knew what she was going through – debuting as a professional tennis player, growing up in front of a camera, entering public life as a young black teenager – and I knew how hard that could be. And I knew how much I would have loved to have had a big sister on tour during my first year, and how much pride I took in the knowledge that my little sister had me. Serena always has me.”
Venus and Serena had stayed away from Indian Wells for nearly 15 years following an ugly incident that left both sisters, who were still in the nascent stages of their careers at the time, feeling profoundly unwelcome in a sport they loved.
“I remember the pain of my knee injury, and how badly I wanted to play in the semis against Serena – before finally accepting that I wouldn’t be able to. I remember the accusations toward me and my sister and our father. I remember the crowd’s reaction, as I walked to my seat, during Serena’s match in the final. And I remember how I couldn’t understand why thousands of people would be acting this way – to a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old, trying their best.
“There are certain things where, if you go through them at a certain age, you simply don’t forget them.”
Serena’s decision to come back last year led Venus, who has long fought against injustice – as evidenced by her work in engineering equal prize money at Wimbledon – to do some soul-searching of her own, inspired by her younger sister’s choice to not only forgive, but to return to a place that had caused them both such pain.
“It was in that moment, seeing Serena welcomed with open arms last year at Indian Wells, that I think I fully and truly realized what being the big sister means. It means that, for all of the things I did first, and all of the times when I paved the way for Serena, the thing I can be most proud of is this time.
“When Serena paved the way for me.”
Read more about Venus’ thoughts at the Players Tribune.