Rome: Saturday Highlights
Highlights from semifinal action at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Highlights from semifinal action at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Serena Williams had Sunday’s shot of the day at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen | Garbiñe Muguruza spoke to reporters ahead of the Brisbane International and made it clear she’s put her rollercoaster 2016 season behind her.
How well can your favorite WTA stars unscramble the tournaments they play each week? Check out the quiz on wtatennis.com.
Daria Gavrilova, Kristina Mladenovic, and Andrea Petkovic had New Year’s “rockin” Eve in Perth with ATP legend Roger Federer at the Hopman Cup player party.
BRISBANE, Australia – Garbiñe Muguruza withstood a spirited comeback from Samantha Stosur to triumph in a thrilling opening-round encounter at the Brisbane International on Monday.
To the disappointment of a partisan crowd, Brisbane native Stosur was unable to prevent Muguruza winning, 7-5, 6-7(2), 7-5, in just under three hours.
Historically Stosur has struggled to produce her best tennis in Brisbane, winning only four matches in her six appearances. And under the roof of the Pat Rafter Arena she was in trouble early on, falling behind 0-30 and facing a break point at 2-2 only to bail herself out with a couple of heavy-duty deliveries.
.@GarbiMuguruza wins a brilliant point against @BamBamSam30 at @BrisbaneTennis – but the first set is still on serve. pic.twitter.com/NGM8C4s2O1
— WTA (@WTA) January 2, 2017
They stayed locked on serve until very last game of the set, when Stosur took advantage of a lapse from Muguruza to bring up three set points. But the Spaniard refused to crack under pressure, crushing a deep backhand deep to reach the safety of deuce. A flurry of errors from Stosur in the next give Muguruza the opening she needed to take the set.
Targeting the Stosur backhand, Muguruza twice broke at the start of the second. Each time the hometown favorite hit right back, going on to level in a one-sided tie-break. She carried this momentum into the decider, yet despite forging 4-2 ahead, the ghosts of past appearances came back to haunt her as the No.4 seed produced the more authoritative – and assured – tennis to take a place in the second round.
.@SvetlanaK27 starts 2017 with a big milestone! pic.twitter.com/Fvzzcg8xD8
— WTA (@WTA) January 2, 2017
There she will face Daria Kasatkina. Should she come through that test, another russian, No.5 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, is her likely quarterfinal foe. Kuznetsova enjoyed a more straightforward start to 2017, registering her 600th career win by easing past Louisa Chirico, 6-2, 6-4.
Also advancing was No.8 seed Roberta Vinci, after she dig deep to see off lucky loser Kateryna Bondarenko, 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-6(5).
Go inside the Auckland Player Party with Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Lucie Safarova and more WTA stars at the ASB Classic.
Serena Williams’ press conference after her first round victory at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
Dominika Cibulkova and Casey Dellacqua paid a special visit to the children at the Ronald McDonald House in Brisbane with WTA Charities.
On Tuesday afternoon Serena Williams will begin the defense of her French Open crown when she meets Magdalena Rybarikova on Philippe Chatrier.
By her own high standards, Williams’ made a slow start to 2016. But judging by her performance in Rome, where she lifted the 70th title of her career, she appears to be rounding into form at just the right time.
Ahead of her return to the French capital, CNN Open Court sat down Williams to discuss her love of clay, coaching set-up and the quest for Grand Slam title number 22.