The WTA season is over but the Mannequin Challenge is here to stay – at least for now. Simona Halep, Nicole Gibbs, Daria Kasatkina and more stars gave the social media craze a try – whose do you like best?
Nicole Gibbs, CiCi Bellis and squad:
Before her run to the Hawaii Open title, CiCi Bellis joined up with Nicole Gibbs and a whole cast of American rising stars – including Sachia Vickery, Samantha Crawford, Jamie Loeb and Asia Muhammad – for their video.
The Chan Sisters and the whole Taipei 125K Challenger:
Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan enlisted everyone at the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger – from ball kids to photographers to umpires – in their epic Mannequin Challenge.
Simona Halep… and half of Romania’s athletes
Maybe not half, but there’s a lot: Simona Halep joined over 20 of Romania’s top athletes and trainers for a cameo in the Stejarii Country Club’s Mannequin Challenge. Check it out below – they saved the best for last!
Daria Kasatkina & Ons Jabeur:
Daria Kasatkina and Ons Jabeur and more took a break from practice to freeze for their Mannequin Challenge. Kasatkina was caught mid-racquet smash, much to the dismay of her coach.
What's going on @EMPIRETennis?@DKasatkina, @Ons_Jabeur & @platno76 are doing #MannequinChallenge! #tennis #girls #MannequinChallenges @WTA pic.twitter.com/aeyEuThzYm
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan – Taiwan Open top seed Venus Williams survived a topsy-turvy opening set against the always-dangerous Misaki Doi to defeat the Japanesewoman, 6-4, 6-2, to win her 49th career title.
“I’ve had so much success in Asia,” Williams said after the match, having won her last two titles at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open and the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai. “I feel like it’s very lucky to play here.”
The American appeared to have things under control from the outset, but Doi, who held a match point against eventual Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in their Melbourne first round, rebounded in style to win four straight games and lead Williams by a break.
“My opponent was incredible today. I was leading in the first set and then suddenly she was leading!”
That proved to be the last major momentum swing, however, as the former No.1 swept the final three games to take the first set and drop just two more to win the final in just under 90 minutes.
“It’s fun to win a final that was such a challenge, and I appreciated her game.”
Williams didn’t lose a set through five matches in Kaohsiung, and will hold on to her current ranking of No.11 by virtue of winning the title. A fan favorite in Taiwan, she was happy to be celebrating Valentine’s Day at a tournament where she could truly feel the love.
“Of course, I celebrated Valentine’s Day with a win; that’s the best way! I made so many wonderful moments and memories that I’ll be bringing a lot of love back with me to the States.
“The last five days were so exciting, just to feel the enthusiasm and to play great tennis every day. It was perfect week for me and the tournament did an amazing job with everything; the players and fans felt so welcome, so it was perfect.”
Doi had come into the match hoping to win her second career titles – having won her first last fall at the BGL BNP Luxembourg Open – but nonetheless finds herself just outside the Top 50 thanks to her run in Taiwan.
In doubles, hometown favorites Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching won their first title of 2016, defeating Japanese duo Eri Hozumi and Miyu Kato, 6-4, 6-3. The Chan sisters roared into the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global last year as Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza’s closest competitors, and remain the last team to defeat Santina, who currently ride a 40-match winning streak – the longest since 1990 (Jana Novotna, Helena Sukova).
Top seed at the St. Petersburg ladies Trophy, Belinda Bencic not only walked away with the runner-up trophy to 2015 US Open finalist Roberta Vinci, but the Swiss star became the 116th player in WTA history to make her Top 10 debut.
With her semifinal win over former junior rival and fellow ranking mover Daria Kasatkina, Bencic moved up to No.9 in the world less than three years after capturing back-to-back junior Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, and a little over two years after her WTA-level breakthrough at the 2014 US Open, where she upset former No.1 Jelena Jankovic to reach the quarterfinals.
With six different players made their Top 10 debut in 2015, Bencic is the first to do so this year, and the youngest by four years to join a club where the average age is 26.7.
Bencic is also the fifth Swiss woman to earn a Top 10 WTA Ranking, joining Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere, Martina Hingis, Patty Schnyder, and Timea Bacsinszky – who entered the Top 10 last fall. While Maleeva-Fragniere cracked the Top 10 in May 1984 while representing Bulgaria; she later changed nationalities in 1990 when she was also ranked in the Top 10.
In the last 20 years, 10 players have made their Top 10 debut before their 19th birthday:
PLAYER
TOP 10 DEBUT
AGE
Belinda Bencic
February 15, 2016
18
Caroline Wozniacki
May 18, 2009
18
Nicole Vaidisova
August 7, 2006
17
Maria Sharapova
July 5, 2004
17
Svetlana Kuznetsova
June 7, 2004
18
Jelena Dokic
October 8, 2001
18
Kim Clijsters
June 11, 2001
18
Serena Williams
April 5, 1999
17
Anna Kournikova
June 22, 1998
17
Venus Williams
March 30, 1998
17
Martina Hingis
October 7, 1996
16
Who else made great strides last week in St. Petersburg and Kaohsiung?
Daria Kasatkina (+18, No.63 to No.45): Despite losing to Bencic in the semifinals, the 2014 French Open junior champion continues her stellar start 2016, taking out Kirsten Flipkens and Dominika Cibulkova to break the Top 50 for the first time in her young career.
Hsieh Su-Wei (+16, No.81 to No.65): The two-time doubles Grand Slam champion and former World No.23 in singles had an impressive week at the Taiwan Open, reaching the semifinals and losing to eventual champion Misaki Doi.
Laura Siegemund (+10, No.87 to No.77): Out to prove her run to the third round of the Australian Open was no fluke, the German veterean pulled off a dramatic upset over Kristina Mladenovic to reach the round of 16 in St. Petersburg as a lucky loser.
Misaki Doi (+9, No. 61 to No.52): The woman that nearly derailed eventual Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the first round, Doi reached the final in Taiwan, pushing Venus Williams in a hard-fought opening set en route to a career-high ranking.
Anastasija Sevastova (+8, No.103 to No.95): The comeback continues for the former World No.36, who returned to tennis at the start of 2015 after nearly two years away; Sevastova returns to the Top 100 for the first time since January of 2012.
The season behind us offered everything — from tennis fashion extravagance to classic sporty designs, from retro pieces to experiments with modern trends, from neutral colors to vibrant tones. Let’s give the word to our fashion contributor Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog and see which outfits are the most memorable from 2016.
1. Serena’s Nike crop tops
In the last two decades, Serena Williams has made a profound mark on tennis fashion with her daring outfits and in her 21st pro season the American continued to push the boundaries.
Williams made a style bang at the first Grand Slam of the season, rocking a vibrant yellow Nike crop top, functionally and aesthetically enhanced by an open hole mesh at back and rounded side vents, and a super lightweight skirt, whose Breathe material gave an additional twist to the all-around pleats.
In Indian Wells and Miami, Williams showcased an omega blue version of the mind-blowing outfit, continuing to show how well crop tops work in tennis fashion.
2. adidas’ zebra print
One of the most memorable collection of the season is definitely Adidas’ Roland Garros “zebra”. Designed by Japanese Yohji Yamamoto, who found inspiration in dazzle painting used for ship camouflage in World War I and World War II, the Y-3 collection was the talk of Roland Garros with its eye-catching black and white print bringing a sense of movement and fluidity.
The fearless designer went for the bold print all the way, so not even the shoes from the collection calmed down the look.
3. Serena’s Wimbledon whites
Brands usually make their designs stand out with busy patterns, but Wimbledon’s all-white clothing rule always forces tennis apparel companies to find ways to create outstanding designs that don’t rely on the power of color and Serena Williams’ Nike dress for the grass-court Grand Slam is a perfect example of how a few well thought-out details can make a simple clothing piece outstanding.
The American’s Wimbledon dress stole our hearts with its elegant half turtleneck, flirty tiered pleated skirt and classic sporty racerback.
4. Venus’ EleVen Prism collection
Venus Williams likes to challenge her competition with prints and her Prism collection for the US Open was the most beautiful colorful design of the year. Introducing fall, the EleVen Prism Chela Dress features the season’s cool tones, but vibrant colors of summer are also there to lift our spirits for a tough match or training.
5. adidas’ US Open geometric prints
Adidas closed the season with what is in my opinion an overall best collection of 2016, inspired by the New York City skyscrapers. The collection’s main features include the triangular print, a perfect ratio of bright colors to cooler tones, and specific racerback design. What adidas did with absolute success here is offer a lot of variety, with the collection’s leitmotifs present in every clothing item.
Angelique Kerber climbed to the world number one ranking at the US Open wearing the adidas Fall Pro Tank in flash red and the adidas Fall Pro Skirt, whose geometric print represents the world’s most famous cityscape.
Simona Halep paired a tech steel version of the adidas Fall Pro Tank with the adidas Fall Pro Short, whose white mesh layer makes it the most spectacular tennis shorts we’ve had in recent years.
Ana Ivanovic rocked this gorgeous adidas Fall Pro Dress, which stands out with the way its colorblock racerback design is executed.
6. Stella McCartney’s soft color palette
The season’s best tennis clothes in pale colors were from Stella McCartney’s summer collection. Soft yellow and lilac, subtle floral print and hexagon-shaped laser-cut details characterize the separates sported by Andrea Petkovic, Caroline Wozniacki and Garbine Muguruza. Another lovely item from the collection is the adidas Summer Stella McCartney Tour Dress promoted by Wozniacki.
7. New Balance’s vibrant sportiness
The best youthful sporty look of the season included the New Balance Spring Tournament Tank, unique for its spaghetti straps with an Y-back, matched with the New Balance Spring Reversible Skirt or the New Balance Spring Tournament Skirt. Heather Watson and Nicole Gibbs energized the courts with their juicy orange combined with azalea.
8. Fila’s Heritage collection
Fila was very prolific in 2016 and they even launched a colorful collaboration with Marion Bartoli, but their best collection happened late in the season, at the US Open, featuring Jelena Jankovic’s and Yaroslava Shvedova’s Fila Heritage Stripe Dress, a harmonious marriage between modern blurred stripes and retro feel brought by the simple cut and red head tie.
Karolina Pliskova made her first Grand Slam final in the basic Fila Heritage Racerback Tank and the Fila Heritage Skirt.
DUBAI, UAE – Romania’s recent Fed Cup defeat to the Czech Republic was a bittersweet experience for Simona Halep.
Halep and company went into the tie – their first in World Group I since 1992 – as overwhelming underdogs against the defending champions, only to defy expectations and force a deciding fifth rubber. While this ultimately proved a bridge too far, Halep’s disappointment was tempered by the relief of being able to compete pain-free once again.
This prompted a sudden change in schedule for the World No.3, who had planned to take February and March off to undergo surgery to tackle an ongoing sinus infection. Instead of sitting out her defense of this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Halep accepted a late wildcard to take up a place in the draw.
“I delayed it because I feel okay now. I got good treatment at home and now I feel that I’m able to play, so I’ve put it off until the end of the year, maybe – I’m not sure exactly when,” Halep said during her All Access Hour in Dubai. “But now I feel good and I want to just keep playing.
“Actually I decided to delay the operation before Fed Cup; I really wanted to play in my country, for my country. So this helped me a lot to get some confidence. I had some good matches and thought that I feel good here [in Dubai] and would play some matches.”
It has been a stuttering start to the campaign for Halep, whose preparations were dealt a couple of body blows: “It started in the beginning of December. I was practicing but it wasn’t easy for me because I got tired very often and very fast. After that I had a stomach infection and I had to take some days off.
“It was tough, I came to Australia still taking antibiotics and it was tough for me to start playing tournaments. Then I had the Achilles injury and then before Melbourne, in Sydney, I got infection of my nose and ear. So it was tough to play, it was tough to stay there focused.”
Despite suffering a couple of surprise losses Down Under – against Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Sydney semifinals, then to World No.133 Zhang Shuai at the Australian Open – the 24-year-old is refusing to let hindsight cloud her thoughts.
“Yes maybe it would’ve been better if I didn’t go to the first tournaments because I had the stomach infection but I thought it was going to be easy. But the jet-lag and everything was tough for me to adapt, it was tough to play,” she added.
“But I don’t want to regret anything and now I’m just keeping an eye on my health more and on enjoying playing.”
Unsurprisingly, given her run to the title 12 months ago and victory in neighboring Doha in 2014, Halep has fond memories of this time of year.
“I’m happy to be back here. It means a lot this tournament because last year I won it. I have great memories from that time – many fans are coming to support me here.
“So I’m looking forward to starting the tournament and that I’m able to play.”
DUBAI, UAE – Ana Ivanovic fired a warning shot to the rest the draw at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, dismantling Daria Gavrilova in under an hour.
Watch live action from Dubai & Rio de Janeiro this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
After a difficult start to the year, Ivanovic showed signs of recovery during a run to the semifinals in St. Petersburg, and carried on from where she left off against Gavrilova.
Ivanovic utilized the fast conditions to devastating effect, 19 winners (offset by just 16 unforced errors) helping her to a 6-1, 6-0 victory.
In their previous meeting, last year in Rome, Gavrilova had prevailed in a rollercoaster, but it was clear early on that the rematch would be rather more brief.
A string of unforced errors, culminating in a double fault, saw Gavrilova surrender serve in the second game. While she broke back immediately, the Australian was powerless in the face of Ivanovic’s onslaught.
The former World No.1 struck early in the second set, too, a couple of sweetly timed backhands bringing a break in the first game. With the forehand, usually the barometer for the Serb’s game, also firing on all cylinders, from here a comeback never looked on the cards.
“We played once before and it was a battle on clay, so I knew it was a tough match and I had to step up because I knew she’s a great mover and she strikes the ball really well,” Ivanovic said.
“Here the ball flies a little bit, so I tried to use that to my advantage and move forward a little bit. And I did that very well and was very aggressive on my returns, so overall I’m very happy.”
Her reward is a meeting with defending champion and top seed Simona Halep, an opponent Ivanovic is excited to pit her improving game against.
“Yeah, definitely. You want to play against the best and challenge yourself. We’ve had battles in the past but it’s going to be a tough one.”
Other winners in the afternoon session were Elina Svitolina and Barbora Strycova. In her first match since announcing the addition to Justine Henin to her coaching team, Svitolina was in fine form during a 6-3, 6-1 victory over qualifier Jana Cepelova. The Ukrainian faces No.2 seed Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round.
Strycova was pushed slightly harder, eventually seeing off Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-4, 6-3, to set up a clash with Julia Goerges.
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