Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sania Mirza produced a near flawless display to overwhelm Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, 6-2, 6-3. The result ensures that Mattek-Sands will replace Mirza as the World No.1 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
Highlights from all of Saturday’s finals action at the Brisbane International.
An interview with Caroline Garcia after her win in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Highlights from semifinal round action at the Connecticut Open.
SYDNEY, Australia – No.5 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova began her title defense at the Apia International Sydney with a decisive 6-1, 6-4 win over Irina-Camelia Begu.
“I started the year quite good with the feeling on court,” she said in her post-match press conference. “Sometimes the results don’t go with how you’re feeling, but I feel very good at the start of the year.”
It was a year ago that Kuznetsova came to Sydney to begin what would become her best season in nearly six years, but shrugged off the pressure of going for a second straight victory.
“I’m not thinking about defending my title. The trophy is at home and nobody can take it away from me. This is another year and another opportunity to play. I always feel like I need a lot of matches at the start of the year. I remember going to Auckland and not winning a single match. Then I came here and it gave me matches, confidence.
“If I played five weeks in a row at the end of last year, I can do three or four weeks here.”
The Russian veteran showed off similar form for much of the match against Begu, who struggled through the 31 minute opening set.
.@SvetlanaK27 has found her range early! pic.twitter.com/Gie2qUY2z3
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2017
Winning 10 of the first 12 games, the former World No.2 was on course for a seamless victory before the Romanian mounted a mini-comeback, drawing even at 4-4 in the second.
“What happened? What typically happens in a tennis match. I think I started to play more defensively, and she felt like she had nothing to lose. I got too passive.
“We practiced in December because she was also in Dubai; we played a practice match and that was good because I was able to remember her game.
“It’s a different style; she stays farther behind the baseline, not so much inside. She serves good, and it was hard to read.
.@Irina_Begu is on ?!
She breaks again to level the second set at 4-4! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/FR3QXYMWRy
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2017
Kuznetsova closed the door from there, and served out her spot in the second round, where she’ll meet either 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur or compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
“Overall, I think I did good, except for those four games when I didn’t play so good.”
.@SvetlanaK27 starts @SydneyTennis title defense with 6-1, 6-4 win over Begu! pic.twitter.com/fMeKx8at2m
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2017
Some of the biggest stars in women’s tennis – past, present and future – headed to Brazil for the Rio Open this week.
Elina Svitolina had Saturday’s shot of the day at the Connecticut Open.
SYDNEY, Australia – No.10 seed Caroline Wozniacki survived a titanic tussle against Olympic tennis event winner Monica Puig, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, to advance into the second round of the Apia International Sydney.
“It’s a tough match, because, you know, you kind of feel, like, oh, I’m winning pretty comfortably right now, but then she can go on a streak, starts hitting winners, has such a good serve,” the Dane explained in her post-match press conference. “That’s where it started going in in the second set, and then the third set I tried to stay closer to the baseline and maybe play a little deeper.
“It paid off. But, yeah, win is a win. I’ll take it.”
Wozniacki had just come off a quarterfinal appearance at the ASB Classic, while Puig was looking for her first win of the season, having dropped her opening round match to Elina Svitolina at the Brisbane International. The No.10 seed broke at her first opportunity and held on for dear life to start the match, gutting out a five-deuce game to hold for 5-2 and ultimately serve out the opening set in 47 minutes.
This perfect backhand has helped @CaroWozniacki save three break points! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/GZaRauEliO
— WTA (@WTA) January 9, 2017
Puig served notice last summer when she took home Puerto Rico’s first ever Olympic gold medal, but was even more impressive off the return in the second set, break serve three times to level the match.
Not a bad way for @CaroWozniacki to save break point! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/8EX3RtLwTt
— WTA (@WTA) January 9, 2017
Much like the first set, Wozniacki broke early in the third and never let go, even as Puig showed all her mettle to hold in a six-deuce game at 3-1 in the decider.
“I changed up my practice quite a bit. I did a lot of other things, probably spent more time on court than I have in a long time and less time in the gym, actually.
“That was a big change for me, because I have worked so hard on my fitness and worked so hard on trying to prevent injuries.
“But at the end of the day, I think I sometimes need to ease off a little bit. I guess I’m not a spring chicken anymore. Sometimes less is more.”
Clinching victory on her first match point, Wozniacki booked a second-round encounter with Yulia Putintseva.
“I was proud of how I managed to just keep grinding today. I feel pretty good. I’m not nervous about my form. I think it’s going to be fine.”
.@CaroWozniacki starts @SydneyTennis campaign with 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win over Puig! pic.twitter.com/QwCEg3qz3D
— WTA (@WTA) January 9, 2017
WINNERS
Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska survived a late challenge from No.10 seed Elina Svitolina on route to claiming her first Connecticut Open title, 6-1, 7-6(2).
The World No.4 Radwanska took a wildcard into the New Haven event looking for some last-minute tune up ahead of the US Open. She’ll now leave the tournament having claimed the 19th WTA title of her career, and her second title of 2016 after opening the season with a win at Shenzhen.
“Yeah, it’s been a great week for me, great preparation,” Radwanska said. “A couple of great matches. In the semi, in the final. It was a very strong tournament, no easy matches. I was pushing myself 100% from the first round, working hard here.
“I’m just trying to keep it up and play the same level in New York.”
Click here for match recap and highlights.
In the doubles draw, Sania Mirza cemented her place at the top of the doubles ranking. Mirza and temporary partner Monica Niculescu capped off their newly rekindled doubles partnership with their first title together at the Connecticut Open, edging past Kateryna Bondarenko and Chuang Chia-Jung 7-5, 6-4.
“It’s always nice to have the week before a Grand Slam where you’re able to ease up,” Mirza explained in post-match press. “We go to New York and there’s so much happening there. Here you have nice restaurants and even though we’re in the city, you feel quite quiet around here.
“I was actually not planning on completely playing this week. But when Monica asked me, I thought we could obviously win together.”
Click here for match recap.
RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of August 29, 2016.
Johanna Larsson (SWE), +15 (No.62 to 47): Lucky loser Larsson made the best of her second shot at the Connecticut Open main draw, reaching her first Premier-level semifinal. She also jumps up to No.47, sitting one spot away from equaling her previous career high ranking of No.46.
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL), +12 (No.68 to 56): Another New Haven lucky loser, Flipkens played some of her best tennis to upset Belinda Bencic and Caroline Garcia and inch her way back up toward the Top 50.
Elina Svitolina (UKR), +4 (No.23 to 19): Having reached her career first Premier-level final at New Haven last week, Svitolina jumps up four spots to land back inside the Top 20.
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
US Open
New York, USA
Grand Slam | $ TBA | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, August 29 – Sunday, September 11
Dalian Women’s Tennis Open
Dalian, China
125K | $115,000 | Hard, Outdoor
Tuesday, September 6 – Sunday, September 11
Coupe Banque Nationale
Quebec City, Canada
International | $226,750 | Carpet
Monday, September 12 – Sunday, September 18
Japan Women’s Open Tennis
Tokyo, Japan
International | $226,750 | Hard
Monday, September 12 – Sunday, September 18
TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Serena Williams – US Open
2. Angelique Kerber – US Open
3. Garbiñe Muguruza – US Open
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – US Open
5. Simona Halep – US Open
6. Venus Williams – US Open
7. Victoria Azarenka
8. Roberta Vinci – US Open
9. Madison Keys – US Open
10. Svetlana Kuznetsova – US Open
11. Karolina Pliskova – US Open
12. Carla Suárez Navarro – US Open
13. Dominika Cibulkova – US Open
14. Johanna Konta – US Open
15. Timea Bacsinszky – US Open
16. Petra Kvitova – US Open
17. Samantha Stosur – US Open
18. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – US Open
19. Elina Svitolina – US Open
20. Elena Vesnina – US Open
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:
Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) – September 1, 1994
Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) – September 3, 1988
SYDNEY, Australia – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won an all-Russian battle with defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova to advance into the quarterfinals of the Apia International Sydney.
“I’m really happy, not only because she’s defending champion, but also my fellow player,” she said after the match. “She’s Top 10 and has had a really incredible year last year. I knew it’d be a really tough match and I was just trying to play good tennis, and take this as prep for Melbourne.”
Pavlyuchenkova had lost five of her last six encounters with her veteran compatriot, and things seemed to be moving in similar fashion to start Tuesday’s match.
Kuznetsova twice moved ahead by a break of serve to start, and served for the opening set at 5-4, only to see Pavlyuchenkova reel off the last three games to nab just her third set from her fellow Russian.
“I think I did everything well! I wasn’t serving as well as I did yesterday; I was a little upset with that, but I’m so happy that even with a lower first-serve percentage, that I was able to win the match in two sets.”
.@NastiaPav takes a hard-fought first set 7-5! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/OqEFfSXu2z
— WTA (@WTA) January 10, 2017
The pair exchanged breaks early in the second, with last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinalist moving ahead 5-2 after a long service game, eventually clinching the win in one hour and 38 minutes.
“It’s just very different conditions here; last week was my first match of the year, plus it was cold, windy, with fast courts. I had Goerges there and she was just serving bombs so it was difficult for me to get into any rallies.
“I had zero expectations here; I was just trying to enjoy the tennis, but it’s working good so far.”
Up next for Pavlyuchenkova is either Eugenie Bouchard or No.3 seed Dominika Cibulkova.
“Cibulkova had an incredible year last year as well; she won the Masters and is in really good form. She’s a great fighter. I’ve never played Bouchard before. I don’t think we’ve even practiced together. I don’t know what to expect so I think I’ll watch some of their match today.”
.@NastiaPav reaches the @SydneyTennis Quarterfinals!
Beats defending champ Kuznetsova 7-5, 6-3! pic.twitter.com/ievj8PWCdM
— WTA (@WTA) January 10, 2017