Singapore: Pliskova Vs Muguruza
Karolina Pliskova takes on Garbiñe Muguruza in the round-robin stage of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
Karolina Pliskova takes on Garbiñe Muguruza in the round-robin stage of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
MIAMI, FL, USA – Down match point in the decider, Yaroslava Shvedova produced some of her best tennis to defeat 2008 runner-up Jelena Jankovic in the first round of the Miami Open on Wednesday, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3).
“It was an amazing match, a battle there on-court,” Shvedova told WTA Insider after the match. “Jelena is a great opponent, a tough opponent, and I’m happy I could manage to play well, relax and enjoy it, which I was missing a little bit for the beginning of the year.”
Snapping a seven-match skid that dated back to the quarterfinals of the China Open in Beijing last fall, Shvedova scored a victory in the matchup for the second time, and now both of her career victories against Jankovic have come in final set tiebreaks; the lone win for Shvedova in the pair’s previous five matches came 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(6) in the second round of the 2009 US Open.
Great return! @Jelena_Jankovic sneaks the first set 6-4! #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/FQDmN1Bimq
— WTA (@WTA) March 22, 2017
In addition, the Kazakh handed the Serb her fourth straight defeat in the first round after Jankovic reached the semifinals in 2013. While the two hadn’t played since 2012 prior to Wednesday’s match, a tough battle was to be expected — the match was the fifth three-set affair between the two players as well.
“She’s a fighter and it’s always been tough to play against her,” Shvedova said. “I was talking with my coach after the match and he reminded me [of their three-setters]. Somehow, our games match-up and it’s not easy to finish quickly!”
In an opening set that went with serve for the first nine games, each player only carved out one break point opportunity and proved particularly successful behind their first deliveries — both won over 70 percent of the points played behind them in the set. However, Jankovic’s second break point chance in the set proved to be vital, as she rifled a backhand return winner down the line to seal the opener in 43 minutes.
The second set was nearly identical in both score and minutes played, but the path to pocketing the set proved different for the Kazakh. Shvedova hit back well in the second, winning over 40 percent of points on return and break twice to wrap up the middle set by an identical 6-4 score and send proceedings to a decider.
.@SlavaSays saves a match point to edge Jankovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)!
Advances to @MiamiOpen Second round! pic.twitter.com/Bx87UD9el7
— WTA (@WTA) March 22, 2017
With Jankovic ahead 3-2 in the final set, the pair rattled off four straight breaks of serve, the last coming as Shvedova broke the Jankovic delivery to 15 as she served for the match. Facing match point at 30-40, Shvedova reeled off the next three and rifled a forehand winner past Jankovic to knot the set at 5-5.
Trailing by a mini-break in the tiebreak, Shvedova rallied to knot the action at 3-3 before winning the next four points to score the come-from-behind win.
Looking to build on her first win of the year in March, Shvedova advances to face No. 17 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round, against whom she is 2-3 overall.
“My preparation was not good because I got injured in the off-season and I couldn’t practice that well,” Shvedova said about her start to 2017. “I couldn’t get my feeling, my game, my confidence, everything — and I was just going to tournaments trying to get it. It was not easy sometimes, unlucky — now I’ve had some time to rest and relax and clear my mind, [and] I can start to go up from the bottom.”
SINGAPORE – At the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, every player who takes the court walks out hand in hand with a young mascot.
But ahead of her round-robin match against Madison Keys, Dominika Cibulkova was so focused on the match that she accidentally walked right past hers.
.@Cibulkova and @Madison_Keys are on court for a crucial clash! Who will end up on top? pic.twitter.com/3BZsvjSXgY
— WTA (@WTA) October 25, 2016
Thankfully, as soon as Cibulkova realized her mistake she quickly corrected it. She actually ran back to the tunnel to take the young fan’s hand and lead her across the court, much to the girl’s delight (and confusion).
A funny moment before the match, as @Cibulkova forgets her ballgirl while walking out on the court at @WTAFinalsSG #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/vuBFraWI5N
— WTA (@WTA) October 25, 2016
After the match, Cibulkova explained in at her press conference what happened:
“I was just waving to the people around the stadium, and I just forgot! I didn’t see the ball kid!” she laughed. “I was like, oh my god, no way! She must feel so bad! So I went back.”
Check out the video below (at 5:40) to hear Cibulkova talk more about her match, including her ball kid mix-up.
MIAMI, FL, USA – What did the top seeds have to say before the Miami Open? From Dominika Cibulkova and Garbiñe Muguruza’s memories of Miami breakthroughs to Simona Halep’s “weird passions,” WTA stars told all at the pre-tournament Media Day…
Dominika Cibulkova:
On coming back to Miami, which was the springboard to her career…
“From the first time I played here as a tournament, it was my favorite tournament. And it still is, because I have so many great memories here at this tournament.
“I can’t forget some of the matches I’ve played here. The first time I was 18 years old, and I played here a third round against Elena Dementieva. That was the first big match for me, and I lost in three sets. Actually this match was a turning point, when I realized I could really play with the best of the best. Since that I beat Agnieszka Radwanska here to reach Top 10 for the first time. So, I really have great memories.”
Surprisingly strong Slovakian support in South Florida…
“I like hockey, and I remember because there were a lot of Slovakian hockey players playing in [the Panthers]. I remember they used to come and cheer me on here in Miami. But I think now there are not any. But these are the little details that make your stay much better.”
Garbiñe Muguruza:
On receiving a Miami wildcard as a teenager…
“This is such a great tournament for me because this was like my breakthrough. I got a wildcard and I beat two Top 10s and went to fourth round, which was quite amazing. Plus I love the environment, I love the Latin American people, so I feel very at home here.
“I came here just for the wildcard in the tournament, I didn’t come to Miami at all before that. And I remember seeing all these tennis stars at that time, because I was playing other kinds of tournaments, and it was amazing for me. I will never forget it.”
Simona Halep:
On her newly-minted partnership with Mercedes in Romania…
“I have weird passions. I love watches and cars. Maybe that’s a little bit weird, but I love cars, and I’m really happy with this partnership.”
Putting her injury woes behind her…
“It’s not easy. Last year I also had problems with my nose and ears. This time was an injury and it was really tough to accept because I’d never been in this situation, where I had to take five weeks off completely. It wasn’t easy, but I had to accept that everyone struggles with injuries sometimes. I’m just trying to get back soon, but slowly.”
Angelique Kerber:
Accepting the ups and downs…
“I think you cannot play one year at the top level. You always have up and downs. I had it last year as well but I was not making a big deal of it. I’m still feeling good on court of course, and you just have to go out and play your best tennis. The others they would have nothing to lose against you, and this is a completely new situation for me.”
On feeling no pressure at World No.1…
“No, I think the pressure is not there anymore, I think it’s more like motivation for going out there and playing again my tennis. I know the situation already and it’s more going out, playing tough again and having my feeling back.
“Of course, nobody has nothing to lose against me. But, it’s actually a good challenge for me. It’s a completely new challenge, but I think that I’m ready for that.”
Svetlana Kuznetsova:
On learning to love – and study – the game…
“Up until 14 years old I didn’t really like tennis, but when I moved to Spain that’s when I really liked it. I didn’t Spanish TV because I didn’t understand much of it. I haven’t been living back in Moscow. So I haven’t been watching much of tennis in my life. But just now I really enjoy it.
“I love about United States, it’s that people and commentators are really positive. I love how they commentate and I always listen, because the great players are commentators and it’s amazing to hear it. It’s always something interesting even for people who know a lot about tennis. I’m always curious.
“Lindsay Davenport was commentating last week, and I was curious to listen to her view of tennis and the game. Because we came to play against each other but I never know how the people think and what they think about the game, and everybody has a different view about the game. The same when I listened to Kim Clijsters when she was commentating the Australian Open a couple of years ago. I said, ‘Kim, I like whatever you say.’ It’s very interesting for me, I always like to learn more about the game.”
Karolina Pliskova:
On backing up her Indian Wells results…
“I had this last year as well – I did semis last year and then I lost in first round here. So I just want to change this. I know I struggle after I do a good result in one tournament and then coming to a different tournament after.
“Obviously there is not much time as I would like to have to practice, but still I have three days. I’m starting on Thursday so I’m just trying to get ready. I think I’m in good shape this year, so hopefully I can change it in this tournament, to not lose in the first round.”
– Photos courtesy of Getty Images
SINGAPORE – Three-time WTA Finals champion and former No.1 Monica Seles is back at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global as a WTA Finals Ambassador. Aftr getting a chance to catch a glimpse at the Greatest Eight in action in Singapore, the nine-time major winner had one champion in mind when asked who had what it took to capture the Billie Jean King Trophy.
“I think you do have to favor Kerber,” she said in a press conference on Wednesday. “The way she’s playing, the way she handled pressure at the US Open, knowing she would be No.1 and to win her first US Open – I was very impressed by that.”
Seles has been keen on Kerber, the first left-hander to ascend to No.1 since the American herself, especially since she lifted her second Grand Slam title in Flushing Meadows, the latest in a series of major milestones for the German in 2016.
“I think she has matured so well, playing really consistent tennis. I’m so impressed with how strong she is, mentally. To have the breakthrough, winning the Australian Open, was huge – beating Serena Williams like that. But it was even bigger to win the US Open, knowing all the pressure of being No.1, winning a second Grand Slam to solidify it.
“Sometimes in winning the first one, you still have that innocence and can play without pressure. But when it comes to the second, and having that extra little pressure, I was very impressed with how well she handled it.”
Contrasting Kerber with another first-time major winner this season, Seles said all eyes will be on Roland Garros champion Garbiñe Muguruza, and how soon she can back up her big breakthrough on the terre battue.
“The first one is super hard to get, and very difficult, but I think going into the event, before you win the first one, you just don’t have the same pressure. You’re thinking, ‘Ok, I’m just going to go out there and swing at the ball.’ The second is when you’re feeling that you belong here and you want to prove, not just to everyone in tennis, but also to yourself that you’re meant to be here.
“I think that’s what Kerber has done so well. I think it’s also how you handle it mentally. She’s a bit more mature; she’s been on the tour, and nothing seems to faze her mentality. She fights so hard for every ball, and is in unbelievable shape. So she really prepared herself, both physically and mentally.
“For Garbiñe Muguruza, I think it might take another year – or however much more time, it’s hard to put – because she has the game to win more Grand Slams; there’s no question. She probably won on her least favorite surface, the one that would least suit her game, when you think about it.”
Looking ahead to the next batch of major champions, Seles has high hopes for Agnieszka Radwanska, the defending champion in Singapore. Though the Pole rode the momemtum of her WTA Finals victory into a 13-match winning streak at the start of the season, she stalled at the Slams since reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open.
“As a player who played the sport and now loves to watch it, it’s wonderful to watch players making their breakthrough. You’d hope a player like Radwanska, who won this event, will have a breakthrough where she puts it together at a Grand Slam too. Once a few players are exiting the tour, there will be a lot more changes at the top.
“She seems to play so well at the lead-up tournaments, but I think she has the game where she could really pull through and do what Kerber did. But you have to give so much credit to Kerber and her team for putting it all together at 28.”
Check out more quick hits from Seles as she weighed in on Serena’s chances of surpassing Stefanie Graf, Maria Sharapova’s return to the sport next spring, and how she forecasts the future of the sport.
On veterans making breakthroughs…
It comes down to generations. Before me, there was Tracy Austin, who was probably just as young. I think it’s a lot healthier for women – or even girls and teenagers – that players are maturing later. You can handle the pressure a lot better, both physically and mentally, at 22, than at 16. Improvements in recovery and training, the courts have been slowed down tremendously. The schedule is a lot lighter; the ladies now have two months off, which was unheard of in my generation. The WTA has made many great changes to extend the longevity of the players. I think you’ll see players staying in the game a lot longer than mine, where the average retirement age was 26-30.
On who is the Greatest of All Time…
I think Serena, Stefanie Graf, and Martina Navratilova are still fighting it out; it will depend on what Serena ends up doing for the next few years. It’s unfortunate that Serena had periods where she wasn’t able to play on because of injuries, because she is still playing unbelievable tennis at 35, but it’s definitely not her prime, the way it was when she was in her late 20s. To have a player like Serena has been great for the sport across the board.
I remember when I played Serena; she was 16, and we were playing in Chicago. I was No.1 in the world, and I lost to her; I told my agent that my days at No.1 were numbered because you could just feel that she was already a player who was so complete. I know everyone talks about how strong she is physically, but her groundstrokes, fundamentals, and technique are all very sound. As someone who loves the sport, I want to see her healthy next year, and try to go for a few more major wins.
On Maria Sharapova…
I think she’s probably one of the toughest competitors that the tour had. She’s mentally very strong. She’s never been a player that needed a lot of matches, kind of like Serena, to play well. I don’t think there’ll be any trauma to work through with her, so I think she’ll do well coming back. It might take a few matches for her, but I’m not sure it’ll even take that long.
On how she envisions the WTA’s future…
Since I stopped playing, the game has gotten a lot more global, and that’s only ten years, give or take. I remember when I first went to play in the Middle East and in China; now, there are tons of tournaments in those regions. Hopefully, we’re able to inspire a lot of young girls. I look back in my career, and I feel I inspired a lot of the younger ladies from Eastern Europe. I think Li Na has done the same in the Asia/Pacific region. I hope we continue opening up the sport for a lot more kids in different parts of the world, and try to prevent the sport from being too expensive so more can have access to it.
You look at the United States, where we have so many courts, and still don’t have the players we’d hope we would. But I think it’s about making the sport more accessible. It’s wonderful to see the younger players being more involved with the charitable side of things, where you do give back to the sport. All of us – legends and current players – are very thankful to be doing what we’re doing.
As juniors, I’m sure we never thought we’d actually be making a living in tennis, so it’s our responsibility to give back to the sport and make it grow, so we can see stars from different regions around the world.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
No.4 seed Dominika Cibulkova fought past a spirited challenge from Paraguayan qualifier Veronica Cepede Royg to book a spot into the Miami Open third round.
An interview with Svetlana Kuznetsova after her round-robin win at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
MIAMI, FL, USA — Taken to the brink for the second time in this matchup, No.3 seed Simona Halep again emerged victorious over rising Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka in the second round of the Miami Open on Friday, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
“It’s really important that I could win this match today,” Halep said, after the match, referencing her struggles with a knee injury to begin 2017. “I think it was very, very difficult to play against her in the first match here at the tournament, but I’m really happy. I had no pain, I stayed there two hours, fighting, running all over the place… so it’s great.”
There was little to separate the two players for the duration of their nearly two-hour encounter, which included two rain delays, but Halep improved to 2-0 against Osaka after defeating her in the third round of the French Open last year.
With the teenager Osaka known for her blistering serve, it was Halep who cruised behind her delivery in the first set, dropping a total of three points.
While Osaka almost kept pace at the line for the duration, she blinked in the pivotal ninth game, falling behind 0-40 only to see Halep take the game on her third break point and serve out the set to love.
.@Simona_Halep wraps up the first set 6-4! #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/EF64odeBBj
— WTA (@WTA) March 24, 2017
After Osaka held serve to begin the second set, a brief shower forced the players off court, but upon resumption, Oskaka cranked up the heat on serve and off the ground.
After breaking in the first game out of the delay, Osaka stretched her run to 12 of the next 15 points played after the break to take a two break lead at 4-0.
“I lost my serve after the rain and I was a little bit too upset,” Halep said. “She was very strong there, and I think I did my best third set this year. I think I played my best tennis. I didn’t expect her to play that good in the wind. She’s hitting the balls pretty hard and she adjusted well today. Her game is strong and she likes…to hit, and the wind was moving the ball a lot. From my side, I didn’t have pretty good timing to hit. She did very well.”
Halep steadied herself in the fifth game, using some all-court tennis to earn back one break and hold in her next game, but the undaunted Osaka held at love and broke to 30 to send the match into a decider.
.@Simona_Halep cancels out one of the breaks! #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/rwoP1u0L2v
— WTA (@WTA) March 24, 2017
Halep, who stroked 11 winners in the opening set, saw her stat line nearly reversed in the second, as she hit just four winners to balance 11 unforced errors.
A lengthy third game of the decider, which went to deuce five times, seemed to be the turning point for Halep early as the No. 3 seed broke the Osaka serve to move in front, 2-1. However, Osaka rallied back to knot the set at 3-3 with a break of her own, only to surrender serve at love in the next game to put Halep back in front.
After a second, lengthier delay due to weather, Halep hardly missed a beat, holding serving and breaking Osaka on her second opportunity to close out the match.
“I changed everything that I did before,” Halep said about her rain delay thoughts. “I said I had to be fired up from the first point, even if I did a double fault. I just wanted to stay there and fight for every ball.”
.@Simona_Halep moves into @MiamiOpen Third round!
Battles past Osaka 6-4, 2-6, 6-3! pic.twitter.com/Wdp0FR7p34
— WTA (@WTA) March 24, 2017
The Romanian advances to play the winner of the match between No. 32 seed Ekaterina Makarova and Anett Kontaveit.
MIAMI, FL, USA – The Miami Open doubles tournament kicked into high gear on Saturday as two of the Top 4 seeds took the court to begin their respective campaigns. Before the storm clouds rolled in for the third straight day, No.2 seeds Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina and No.4 seeds Andrea Hlavackova & Peng Shuai both advanced into the second round, each in straight sets.
The two teams last met in the finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which the Russians won in a tense match tie-break, and could potentially meet in the semifinals of Miami.
Hlavackova and Peng have nonetheless enjoyed a strong start to 2017, reaching the finals of the Australian Open and briefly leading the pack at the top of the Road to Singapore leaderboard.
“The doubles game is improving a lot,” Hlavackova told WTA Insider. “A lot of singles players are playing doubles, and most of the top teams are made up of singles players, so it’s very tough competition. We are very happy to start the season so well; I think it’s pretty special to start the team so well as a new team. We just want to keep going.”
Up against a young team in Naomi Osaka and Monica Puig, the duo edged through a close opening set to roll through, 7-6(6), 6-1, and book a second round clash with Shuko Aoyama and Yang Zhaoxuan.
“They started very strong in the first set. They served really fast and played a very fast baseline game. It was very important to not panic and keep playing and find out time and moment. We got the tie-break and started from there, even better.”
Osaka and Puig each produced exciting results in singles last year, but have yet to hit the same heights on the doubles court.
“They’re young; when they get to our age, they’ll have experience!” joked Peng.
“I think they’re a great team. They play strong and fast. In the first set, we were almost lucky to get the tie-break, but in the second set, we got a break quickly, so the feeling was different.”
Earlier in the day, Makarova and Vesnina each shrugged off tough singles losses on Friday to power through their first doubles match in Miami, ousting Oksana Kalashnikova and Asia Muhammad, 6-0, 6-2.
“We both had crazy singles matches yesterday,” Vesnina said. “I texted her after the match, because I knew she was crying and she was tired. I told her, ‘Katya, don’t even put yourself down. We have a tough sport, but it’s not the end of the world. Cry for another five, ten minutes, and just pack your stuff, go back to the hotel, get sleep, and tomorrow we’ll kick some asses on the court!’
“We needed to regroup and forget our tough losses because it’s tough. You can have a black line in your life, white line in your life, and there can be moments where there are more black lines than white, but you still need to find the positivity though the negative. Sometimes, what doesn’t kill you makes you strong.”
The dynamic duo are set to celebrate their fifth anniversary of doubles at the Mutua Madrid Open, but may leave Crandon Park with an unexpected present; should they win the tournament, they will rise to Co-World No.1 – as long as Bethanie Mattek-Sands falls before the semifinals and Kristina Mladenovic fails to reach the final.
“Before you told me, I didn’t even know! We’ll take it match by match. Katya and I always do that; we’ll just focus on our doubles. We lost our singles, so we’ll try our best to do good in doubles because this is a big tournament.
“Miami is very prestigious and it’s a huge event; we’ve been in the final twice. This year we’ll try to go all the way.”
Up next for the Olympic Gold medalists and reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champions is the unseeded and dangeous pairing of Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.