Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

Halep Battles Into Bucharest Final

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BUCHAREST, Romania – Simona Halep reached her first final since early May with a hard-fought three set win over Vania King at the BRD Bucharest Open.

Watch live action from Bucharest this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Two years ago, Halep triumphed at the inaugural staging of the tournament, and she stayed on course for a second title on home soil with a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 victory.

“I felt the audience’s support, they were wonderful, keeping in mind that I lost the first set, they were more and more energetic. It was good, they motivated me and I fought every ball, and that helped me win tonight,” Halep said.

Competing in the semifinals of a WTA event for the first time in two years, King recovered from a slow start to take the first set and stun the partisan crowd. Things went from bad to worse for the Romanian at the start of the second set, King rifling a backhand down the line to earn two chances for an immediate break. She only needed one, this time the forehand wing doing the damage.

The American followed this up with a gutsy hold, but could not hold onto the initiative, Halep forcing the match the distance by taking the final three games of the set.

Now bossing the baseline exchanges for the first time, Halep turned the screw at the start of the third set, duly building a 4-1 lead. King battled gamely to the end, reducing her arrears to 4-3, before Halep made it across the finishing line thanks to one final push.

“I think I was a little stronger mentally, more powerful in the game, I was more focused in the important balls and I won the important ones,” Halep added. “I started dominating the game close to the end, I lost two games when I had 4-1, and that was my fault. But I am happy that I resisted and that I won the following two.

“I was expecting her game to be good, fast and aggressive. I played well and I think it was a beautiful match for everyone.”

In the first semifinal, Anastasija Sevastova saw off No.4 seed Laura Siegemund, 6-3, 6-2, to continue her recent resurgence. Sevastova, who recently reached the final in Mallorca, actually holds a winning record over Halep, although with the most recent of these coming almost five years ago it is unlikely to have too much bearing on Sunday’s showdown.

“I don’t recall those matches, but I know I played against her,” Halep said when asked about her three defeats at the hands of Sevastova. “It’s going to be a tough match – every final is difficult – but I will try to enjoy it as much as possible.

“I’m in another final here in Bucharest and that makes me feel very good. I hope I win, I’m looking forward to it but I expect a difficult match. She has a different game, but I will try not to give up any point, just like today.”

Source link

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MELBOURNE, Australia – Top seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic overcame a sluggish start to defeat home hopes Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua on Tuesday night.

In the last of the quarterfinals, Barty and Dellacqua briefly looked liked springing an upset before the French turned the match on its head to run out 1-6, 6-2, 6-1 winners.

Barty and Dellacqua were finalists at their home major four years ago and, as they had against Martina Hingis and CoCo Vandeweghe the previous round, lit up the Rod Laver Arena with some sparkling tennis early on.

However, the favorites began to turn the tide midway through the second set, producing two clean winners to break Barty’s serve for a 4-2 lead. From this point on it was one-way traffic, Garcia and Mladenovic easing into a maiden Melbourne park semifinal, where they will face No.12 seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai.

Garcia and Mladenovic could reach the top of the rankings by reaching the final, but they will have their work cut out against Hlavackova and Peng, impressive 7-5, 7-6(5) winners over No.3 seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.

On the other side of the draw reigning World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands and her partner Lucie Safarova laid down a marker by swatting aside No.11 seeds Raquel Atawo and Xu Yifan, 6-1, 6-1, in under an hour. Their reward is a meeting with the draw’s surprise package, Eri Hozumi and Miyu Kato, after they overcame Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Andrea Petkovic, 6-3, 6-3.

Source link

Kerber First Into Brisbane Final

Kerber First Into Brisbane Final

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BRISBANE, Australia – Angelique Kerber put on a rock solid performance against Carla Suárez Navarro on Friday to become the first player into the final of the Premier-level Brisbane International.

Watch live action from Brisbane, Shenzhen & Auckland on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

The two players had played four times before and split them evenly, 2-2, but this time it was one-sided traffic as the No.4-seeded Kerber was on her game from the get-go, breaking straight away and needing just an hour and 15 minutes to finally put away the No.6-seeded Suárez Navarro, 6-2, 6-3.

“I think it was a good match from me. I was feeling very well from the first point,” Kerber said.

“I knew I had to play aggressively against her, and I was trying to go for it, trying to let her move, and if I had the chance, just going for it. It worked well today, so I’m happy with my performance.”

Kerber finished with a +6 differential of winners to unforced errors, 25 to 19, while Suárez Navarro finished at -9, 13 to 22. But the biggest stat may have come on the Kerber serve – the German held all eight of her service games during the match, and she fought off both of the break points she faced.

But overall, Kerber was lethal whether she was on offense or defense – the perfect balance.

“For me it’s good to find the middle,” she said about her game earlier in the week. “I like to be more aggressive, but also still running everywhere and trying to get every single ball back. I was practicing that a lot the last few weeks, to make the transition better from defense to aggressive playing.

“I still think I should be more aggressive on my second serve and the next few shots, though.”

The World No.10 is now through to the 18th WTA final of her career. She has a 7-10 record in her first 17, but she’s done much better in WTA finals recently, winning four of her last five (all in 2015).

The big picture goal, however, is getting matches in before the big one – the Australian Open.

“I’m just trying to get out there and play like I’ve been practicing the last few weeks, trying to transfer it all into my matches, being more aggressive and serving better than I did in the last few months.

“I think it’s working well. I think I’m on a good way to being 100% ready for Melbourne.”

Source link

News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over sister Venus Williams at the Australian Open, earning an Open Era record in tennis.

Click here to relive Serena’s 23rd Grand Slam title courtesy of the WTA Insider Live Blog.

“It’s such a great feeling to have 23,” she said after the match. “I’ve been chasing it for a really long time. When it got on my radar, I knew I had an opportunity to get there, and I’m here. I’m here.

“It’s a great feeling, and no better place to do it than Melbourne.”

Williams, 35, had equaled Stefanie Graf’s record with her 2016 Wimbledon triumph. The German’s original 22-slam mark had stood since the 1999 French Open.

Serena now has seven Australian Open titles, making it her joint-most successful Grand Slam alongside Wimbledon. She has also won six US Open titles and three at Roland Garros.

Venus and Serena mowed throught the draw playing vintage tennis to book their first meeting in Melbourne in 14 years, when Serena took a three-set thriller to capture the first of two Non-Calendar Year “Serena” Slams.

“My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of. I couldn’t have written a better story.

“I just feel like it was the right moment. Everything kind of happened. It hasn’t quite set in yet, but it’s really good.”

The sisters were facing off in the 28th match of their storied rivalry, and their ninth Grand Slam final, but the first since 2009.

“I don’t think I felt at all awkward,” Venus said in her post-match press conference. “I felt ready. I mean, I haven’t played in a final for a number of years, but I don’t think it’s something you forget. I mean, I played a good amount of ’em, so…

“Experience was right there for me.”

Saturday’s match was similarly tense, with both sisters aware of what was on the line; a win for Serena would not only break the Open Era record but also restore her atop the WTA rankings after dropping to No.2 last summer at the US Open.

Venus and Serena exchanged breaks to start the match, with the No.2 seed settling in sooner to take the opening set behind seven aces and 16 winners.

The crowd did its best to lift Venus in the second set in the hopes of seeing a decider, and the Americans continued performing at a high level throughout the 81 minute match.

“I feel like I had opportunities, for sure,” Venus said. “Just missed some shots. But it’s not like I missed shots that I wasn’t going for. I went for those shots. It’s a matter of inches.

“Some errors here or there can mean the difference between a break of serve or a hold.”

But Serena, who came into the match with a 20-0 record after winning the first set in Grand Slam finals, proved too strong in the end, breaking serve just once in the seventh game to serve out the record-breaking victory, hitting a total of 27 winners to just 23 unforced.

Serena improved her overall head-to-head against Venus to 17-11, and an impressive 7-2 in Grand Slam finals – the only two losses to big sister coming at the 2001 US Open and 2008 Wimbledon Championships, which was, incidentally, the last time the Williams sisters and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal all met in the same major final.

The win was Serena’s 316th at Grand Slam tournaments, improving on her already-record total, and returns her to No.1 in the world, usurping Angelique Kerber.

As for Venus, the result is still her best at a major tournament in seven years, and brings her back to within 200 points of returning to the Top 10.

In the meantime, she was more than happy to give kudos to her younger sister after her historic achievement.

“[23], it’s a great number,” Venus said. “I know she would like to have a little more. Who wouldn’t? It was a great moment. I’m very happy that she’s been able to, you know, get to No.23 because there’s 22 ahead of that that she also earned, and she earned it.

“It was great to have an opportunity to play for the title. That’s exactly where I want to be standing during these Grand Slams, is on finals day, having an opportunity. That’s the highlight of all this, is to be in that moment.”

Serena Williams

Source link