Brisbane: Elina Svitolina vs Shelby Rogers
Elina Svitolina takes on Shelby Rogers in the second round at the Brisbane International.
Elina Svitolina takes on Shelby Rogers in the second round at the Brisbane International.
SHENZHEN, China – The two remaining seeds in the draw – Agnieszka Radwanska and Eugenie Bouchard – had mixed fortunes on Quarterfinals Day at the $500,000 Shenzhen Open on Thursday.
Watch live action from Brisbane, Shenzhen & Auckland on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
The No.6-seeded Bouchard was the first to take center court and succumbed to an on-fire Timea Babos, who broke once per set and fended off all five break points she faced to prevail, 6-4, 6-4.
Bouchard, who had only played one match since the US Open due to a concussion, was playing her first WTA quarterfinal since last year’s Australian Open – Babos was just too sharp on the day, though.
“Genie’s a great player, and she definitely has more confidence and is playing a lot better than the couple months before, so I’m happy I was solid and managed the tough situations well,” Babos said.
And what about the big serving in those tough situations? “In general, in my game, I have one of the biggest serves on the tour, so it’s a huge advantage for me, definitely. Genie is an aggressive player and takes the return very early – she has great returns – so I had to put a lot of first serves in.
“Thankfully in the big moments I came up with good serves and aces, so it worked out well.”
The No.1-seeded Radwanska took the court straight afterwards and needed just 63 minutes to beat Wang Qiang, 6-3, 6-2, holding all nine of her service games – she saved both break points she faced.
Radwanska has now won 20 of her last 24 matches – including eight in a row on Chinese soil.
“We actually played each other in Tianjin, and I think she played a much better match this time, but I really pushed myself to play my best tennis today,” Radwanska said. “It was a good match for me.”
Up next for the World No.5 is Anna-Lena Friedsam, who won a see-saw battle against Katerina Siniakova in the late match, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Radwanska beat Friedsam in the pair’s only meeting.
Babos’ semifinal opponent will be Alison Riske, who rallied past Anett Kontaveit, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
Babos has beaten Riske in both previous meetings, including in Tianjin just a few months ago.
Always love playing in Asia. Fans are great! https://t.co/8CDUy4dBfp
— Aga Radwanska (@ARadwanska) January 6, 2016
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro after her quarterfinal win at the Brisbane International.
SHENZHEN, China – Agnieszka Radwanska kept her fantastic last few months going Friday, beating Anna-Lena Friedsam for a spot in the Shenzhen Open final – and in the Top 4 on the WTA Rankings.
Watch live action from Brisbane, Shenzhen & Auckland on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
After jumping out to a 6-2, 2-0 lead, the No.1-seeded Radwanska faced some resistance from Friedsam, the unseeded German breaking back to even the second set, 2-2. But Radwanska got right back on the horse, breaking one last time for 3-2 then holding the rest of the way to win, 6-2, 6-4.
“I’ve been feeling good from the beginning of the year,” Radwanska said. “I’ve been playing some good tennis, especially here in Shenzhen this week, and now I have one more match to go to win here.”
Radwanska has now won 21 of her last 25 matches, a stretch that started right after the US Open and has brought her titles at Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Tianjin and the WTA Finals, and now a final here.
Radwanska is now into the 25th WTA final of her career – she’s 17-7 in her first 24 WTA finals.
And by reaching this final, Radwanska is projected to pass Maria Sharapova on the WTA Rankings come Monday, going from No.5 to No.4 – a move that has major, major implications, as it’s Monday’s WTA Rankings that will determine the seeds for the Australian Open, and a Top 4 seed is massive.
“Reaching the final here is great preparation for the Australian Open, and that’s a good projection too,” Radwanska, a former World No.2, said after being told of the ranking news. “First I’ll focus on winning here in Shenzhen, and then I’ll just try to play the same tennis in Sydney and in Melbourne.”
But back to Shenzhen, and waiting for Radwanska in the final will be Alison Riske, who won an all-unseeded semifinal against Timea Babos earlier in the day by the exact same scoreline, 6-2, 6-4.
“It was definitely a tough match for me,” Riske said. “Babos is a great competitor and a great player, so I had to be there on every point, and I’m excited that the match came out in my favor in the end.
“I’m also excited to be in the final – it’s a great start to a season to reach a final.”
Radwanska beat Riske in their only previous meeting, in her opening match at Indian Wells last year.
.@ARadwanska books a spot in her 25th #WTA final! Beats Friedsam 6-2, 6-4 at the #ShenzhenOpen! pic.twitter.com/Z83poGRtgI
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2016
Former WTA World No.3 (in both singles and doubles) Nadia Petrova has announced her retirement from professional tennis after a 19-year career.
“Tennis has given me so much,” Petrova told WTA Insider. “It’s given me a career, shaped me as a person, allowed me the opportunity to travel the world, make friends internationally and learn about many cultures. My opportunities have become endless and for that, I’m forever grateful.”
The 34-year-old from Russia concludes a career which saw her clinch 13 WTA singles and 24 WTA doubles titles, reach a Grand Slam singles semifinal, advance to two Grand Slam doubles finals and win the WTA Finals doubles title on two occasions.
Check out Petrova’s full statement below and click here to read WTA Insider’s exclusive interview with the two-time French Open semifinalist.
Tennis has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. It was pretty much everything I did on a daily basis and the little time I had off, I would spend with my loved ones. I suppose when the time comes to say goodbye, it becomes bitter sweet. It’s confusing, somewhat painful, scary yet also gratifying. I’ve decided to turn the page and move on to another stage in my life and I’m ready to do it. Tennis has given me so much. It’s given me a career, shaped me as a person, allowed me the opportunity to travel the world, make friends internationally and learn about many cultures.
My opportunities have become endless and for that, I’m forever grateful. My career has been great, obviously with highs and lows. We all know I was plagued with many injuries which made some of my calendar years challenging. Unfortunately that’s part of an athlete’s life and we all learn how to deal with that. We fall and then we get back up and keep going. Then there comes a time, no matter what you do, say or feel, nothing is ever enough. Your body lets you know it’s had enough. In 2013, when I lost my mother, emotionally I was a mess. On top of that, I was dealing with a hip injury which affected a good portion of the year. I made the decision to take some personal time to heal physically and emotionally. Hopefully that would help me once I decided to step back on court. In February 2014, I tried playing to see how I felt. My mind was still everywhere but on the court and my body was just not responding. It was painful. Painful because I felt useless and the player I was once, was no longer there.
I took more time and when I decided to start training again, my body felt good but once I was aggressively doing court work, it started to break down again. I had to start facing the inevitable and that was that my career had come to an end. To be able to compete at a high level with these top players, I had to be in the best shape and if my hip was not holding up, there was no way I could move on. After many failed attempts of trying to make a come back, I came to the realization that maybe it was time to turn the page and say goodbye to tennis competitively. I would be starting a new chapter in my life, exploring other interest and keeping myself occupied but most importantly spending my time with my loved ones. Making up for lost time.
I said to myself.. “I want to start a family, I want to be home more and I want to enjoy a lot of the things I never had time for while I was on the road”. So although it’s been unfortunate that I was unable to overcome this last injury and compete again, I’m excited for what’s to come and be a part of tennis in the future with other aspects of the sport. I’ve been blessed that Tennis has been such a huge part of my life professionally for the past 15 years. I want to thank every single one of you who has made it possible along the way. Whether that’s been sponsors, tournament staff, WTA, my travel team (which consisted of my coach, trainer, physio and manager), friends and family.. Thank you all. Last but not least MY FANS!! You have been my motivation, my back bone and the reason why I hadn’t given up sooner. Without fans, there wouldn’t be tennis. You all make the sport. Thank you all so much for believing in me and helping me through out my entire career.
Without any further delay, I’d like to make it known that I’m officially retiring from the sport. I plan to stay involved in tennis in the near future. I will be devoting a lot of my time to the sport through charity work which I will make known soon. I may no longer be competing but I will never be far from a court. My heart will always belong there.
Thank you all for making my career so memorable.
Nadia P
Highlights from the second round action at the Apia International Sydney.
The fast-paced WTA season made sure that the Wimbledon whites have quickly given way to colorful outfits and after the big product launches at the grass-court Grand Slam, a number of apparel companies continued to freshen up the tennis fashion scene with new looks during tournaments in Bucharest, Gstaad, Stanford, Washington DC, Bastad and Montreal. Our tennis fashion contributor Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will share with us her favorites of the month, while you’re invited to tell us your thoughts in the poll following the article.
Venus Williams looked astonishing in the final of the Premier-level Bank of the West Classic, wearing the EleVen Dahlia Frontrunner Dress, whose pink dahlia print is nicely contrasted with a robin blue panel at waist.
The American also rocked the EleVen Dahlia Inspire Cap Sleeve, its matching skirt and headband.
By virtue of a deep run at the prestigious tournament, Venus also managed to showcase some solids from the vibrant collection, including the EleVen Dahlia Race Day Tank and the color-block EleVen Dahlia Triple Threat Skirt, which we later also saw at the Rogers Cup.
En route to her maiden WTA title at the Ericsson Open in Bastad, Laura Siegemund presented a variety of Tonic by Martina Hingis outfits. The German earned a rise from No.40 to a career-high ranking of No.32 in the white and navy versions of the Tonic Fall Sierra Dress, which features textured lace fabric overlay around waist and upper back.
Halterneck, cross-back straps and flounce skirt hem all work together to ensure comfortable motion.
Winner of her fist WTA @laurasiegemund congratulations #EricssonOpen @WTA pic.twitter.com/fwakAOi20t
— Swedish Open Tennis (@swedish_open) July 24, 2016
The 28-year-old wanted to mix things up, so the dress was not the only look she presented during the tournament. The German won the final in a casual, dark outfit consisting of classic shorts and a chic tank with uniquely-shaped spaghetti straps.
Yanina Wickmayer won both singles and doubles title at the Citi Open in Lotto’s Twice collection, recognizable for its graphic black and white print. Lotto likes reversible clothes and these items offer an opportunity to go for a predominantly white or a predominantly black outfit, depending on your mood. For those who don’t like busy prints all the way, Lotto prepared solid orange pieces that nicely match the company logo in printed items.
Agnieszka Radwanska also rocked a busy print this July, officially called the pink fluo space dye. The Pole’s Lotto Eclipse Dress presented at the Rogers Cup is an exceptionally feminine piece due to its flirty layered ruffles at skirt.
At the Ericsson Open in Bastad and later at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Angelique Kerber paired her Wimbledon skirt with a ray red version of the adidas Fall Climachill Tank that includes 3D metallic dots on the interior of the upper back, whose job is to keep players cool and dry. The adidas Fall Climachill Skirt, unique for its tiered ruffle hem, is equipped with cooling technology, just like the tank.
Love my #usopenseries outfit @adidastennis @adidas
Ma tenue jusqu'à l'@usopen ?????? pic.twitter.com/OLoy6yUew1— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) July 21, 2016
Kristina Mladenovic has also enjoyed the comfort of the Climachill collection this summer, as well as many other WTA players.
Nicole Gibbs looked top-notch in the New Balance Fall Victoria Dress at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford. The halterneck, keyhole opening at upper back, side slit, laser-cut pindots around skirt hem, built-in bra, on top of all the performance-enhancing features such as the moisture-wicking fabric and antimicrobial treatment, make this spectral purple dress a standout athletic piece of clothing.
SYDNEY, Australia – Former champion Agnieszka Radwanska eased past qualifier Duan Ying-Ying and into the semifinals of the Apia International Sydney on Wednesday evening.
At last week’s Shenzhen Open, Radwanska saved three match points to defeat Duan in a tougher-than-expected season opener. This time around it was a far more straightforward outing, the No.2 seed completing a 6-3, 6-2 victory in an hour and 20 minutes.
“Sometimes you play people two or three weeks in a row, like Caroline and I had last year in Asia, but I’m definitely more happy with this performance than in Shenzhen,” Radwanska said in her on-court interview. “It’s another semifinal here, so I’m very happy with that.
“I was warming up at 4pm and it was still very hot, so I was a little bit lucky to play this evening. I was watching the first match here and it was unbelievably hot – the guys were playing amazingly.”
Despite the more hospitable conditions, both players made heavy weather of holding onto their serve early on. But after a succession of breaks, Radwanska finally put some daylight between the two, opening up a 5-3 lead before calmly serving out the set.
.@ARadwanska takes the first set 6-3! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/4JRVJczZYf
— WTA (@WTA) January 11, 2017
Unlike in Shenzhen, there was to be no Duan comeback, Radwanska rattling off the first four games of the second set to ease her way into the last four.
Radwanska lifted the title in 2012, and standing between her and a return to the final is marathon woman Barbora Strycova. Earlier in the day, Strycova withstood the worst of the midday sun to win an epic encounter against Caroline Wozniacki. “Like I said, she was playing unbelievable tennis and she’s really on fire. Last year she also played amazing tennis. I’m just expecting a good match and we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”
“It's funny when you see your picture (when) walking down the corridor” @ARadwanska on seeing her 2012 champion photo behind the scenes pic.twitter.com/ywMZcAh66K
— Apia Intl Sydney (@SydneyTennis) January 11, 2017
Johanna Konta made short work of Eugenie Bouchard to take her place in the final of the Apia International Sydney.
SYDNEY, Australia – Timea Babos and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova hit through top seeds Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova, 6-4, 6-4, to win their first title as a pair at the Apia International Sydney.
Babos and Pavlyuchenkova were playing just their second event together, playing just once at the end of last season in Moscow. Babos ended her seven-month partnership with Yaroslava Shvedova after the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
“I think at least we found a good balance on this,” Babos said after the match. “It was definitely a great week. We beat some really good teams, the best teams, the last two, three rounds.
“To start like this, our partnership together is important and promising.”
Pavlyuchenkova, by contrast, had opted to focus on singles for most of 2016, though the former Singapore alternate is more than capable on the doubles court.
“It’s amazing, because Timea, she’s more experienced in doubles,” said the Russian. “She has a lot more titles and done great in the Grand Slams, as well.
“I’m really happy, because it’s also nice to win a title in doubles. I feel like we had also been playing really good together.”
.@NastiaPav/@TimeaBabos playing strong! ?
Take a 6-4, 3-0 lead over Mirza/Strycova! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/rLEFFMwdQW
— WTA (@WTA) January 13, 2017
Mirza teamed up with Strycova last summer, and the duo were playing their first event of 2017 together after the former No.1 paired with Bethanie Mattek-Sands to win the Brisbane International, passing the top spot to her good friend after 91 weeks leading the WTA rankings.
Champs! ?@NastiaPav/@TimeaBabos win @SydneyTennis Doubles title!
Defeat Mirza/Strycova 6-4, 6-4! pic.twitter.com/ZyRBmWo2QE
— WTA (@WTA) January 13, 2017
The first set came down to just one break of serve, whereas the second featured four.
“We just went out there and tried to do our game, tried to dictate and play how we always played before and tried, like Timea said, to enjoy and not put too much pressure,” added Pavlyuchenkova.
Babos and Pavlyuchenkova raced out to a 3-0 double break lead in the second set, and though Mirza and Strycova twice clawed the deficit down to one, the unseeded team emerged victorious after one hour and 14 minutes of play. For the fast-rising Hungarian youngster, it was her second title in Sydney.
“This was actually my first year when I played singles here,” said Babos. “Last year I only played doubles. It’s a great tournament. In general, Australia [is] one of my favorite countries if not the favorite. So I really enjoy being here. It’s great atmosphere.”
.@NastiaPav and @TimeaBabos strike a pose with their new @SydneyTennis trophies! ? ? pic.twitter.com/8dhFP412Js
— WTA (@WTA) January 13, 2017