Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

CNN Open Court: Barcelona Bumblebee

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

This weekend, the WTA’s finest will descend on the Spanish capital to battle it out for one of the most prestigious titles on the tennis calendar, the Mutua Madrid Open.

Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro will lead the Spanish challenge, knowing that success on home soil will earn them a place in the hearts of their compatriots forever. Even in victory, though, both will still have a long way to go if they are to match the feats of Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario.

Affectionately known as the Barcelona Bumblebee, Sánchez-Vicario lived up to her moniker, buzzing the width and breadth of the court in the dogged pursuit of tennis balls, none seeming too distant to be deemed a lost cause. Her unquenchable thirst for the fight brought her four majors during a 17-year career, spent almost exclusively at the pinnacle of the game.

In the latest episode of CNN Open Court, Sánchez-Vicario sat down with Pat Cash to discuss Spanish tennis, her legendary career and that nickname.

Source link

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams broke the Open Era record for Grand Slam titles on Saturday night, beating her older sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 to win her record-setting seventh Australian Open title. Her 23rd major title moved her past Stefanie Graf’s record of 22 and puts her just one shy of the all-time record of 24 majors, set by Australia’s Margaret Court.

But in a career that has spanned three separate decades, having won her first major in the 90s (1999 US Open), 10 more in the 2000s, and 12 in the aughts, Serena stands alone as the greatest tennis player the game has ever seen.

Saturday night’s blockbuster final at Melbourne Park was a celebration of greatness, revolution, and longevity. There was nothing more poetic than for Serena to finally capture No.23 – she fell short in her last attempt at the US Open last fall – with Venus by her side. The Williams sisters took the sport by storm when they turned pro as teenagers in the late 90s. Venus got the ball rolling, but it was Serena who carried it.

“There’s no way I would be at 23 without her, there is no way I would be at 1 without her, there’s now way I would have anything without her. She’s my inspiration. She’s the only reason I’m standing here today, the only reason the Williams sisters exist. So thank you, Venus, for inspiring me to be the best player I could be.”

As Venus joked in her speech on court, she had a front row seat for Serena’s 23 major titles, whether because she was on the court – she is now 7-8 in Slam finals with seven of those losses coming to her sister – or playing the role of cheerleader in the players’ box. Together they now hold 30 major singles titles.

“I don’t think we’re going for the greatest story in sports,” Venus said, when asked how she reacts whenever the reference is made. “We’re just going for some dreams. In the case that we are, what an honor.

“What an honor.”

Melbourne belongs to Serena, who in addition to breaking the Open Era record for major titles, also reclaimed her position atop the rankings, overtaking last year’s champion Angelique Kerber at No.1. But 23 was the number of the day. Before taking to the podium to accept her trophy, Serena switched out her match shoes for a pair of Nike Air 23s, an homage to another great sporting champion, Michael Jordan.

“His Airness” wrote her a letter, delivered on the set of ESPN, congratulating on her record-breaking feat.

Aside from sending every record book back to the printer, Slam No.23 puts Serena firmly ahead of the woman to whom her domination is often compared in Stefanie Graf. Both women showed incredible dominance – Graf remains the last palyer to complete the Calendar Slam – and the German still holds the record for weeks at No.1, at 377 (Serena trails at 309 weeks). But this is where Serena’s longevity reigns supreme.

“My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of,” Serena said. “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.”

Graf’s glorious career ended in 1999 at the age of 30. By contrast, Serena has won 10 major titles after the age of 30. At 35 years old she continues to be the standard against whom all others are measured, and given her performance over the fortnight in Melbourne, that window is not closing anytime soon.

En route to the title, Serena faced down four current or former Top 10 players and did not lose a set, never once even going to a tie-break. In five of her matches she finished with more winners than unforced errors.

This was a relaxed and focused Serena. And a stress-free Serena is a dangerous one.

“I feel like my game is good,” Serena said. “I was thinking yesterday on the practice court that gosh, I’m playing better than I have ever. I thought, man, I’m hitting pretty well. It felt really good to know that I’m playing better and I’m here to take this game pretty seriously.”

Numbers won’t matter much for Serena going forward. But they also don’t lie. As she repeatedly insists, she is playing with house money and everything from here on out is a bonus. From the outside, the focus will shift to the prospect of eclipsing Court’s record of 24 major titles. It’s a nice goal, but whether she beats it or not will have zero impact on her legacy.

“I’ve been trying to live it (play stress-free) for quite some time now, but definitely I agree that this tournament I was really able to do it even though I was trying to do it and trying and trying. I think having to play those two matches in the first two rounds, I had no choice but to be better.

“I really was OK with, not losing, but I knew that I didn’t have to win here to have to make my career. For whatever reason that settled with me this time. I don’t know why. I wish I could tell you. I want to know because I definitely want to do that next time,” she said with a laugh.

Outside of Billie Jean King, no woman – or women, if you rightfully include Venus – has had more impact on the women’s game. They introduced and perfected the power game. They forced the rest of the field to match their intensity and physicality. In elevating their status as pop culture icons they elevated the game, bringing what was traditionally considered a country-club sport to the masses.

And they did it by marching to the beat of their drummer, faltering and flying on their own specific terms. 

Source link

Madrid Saturday: Dirt Ballers

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID Spain – The seeds in the lower half of the draw will make their 2016 BNP Paribas debut on Saturday at Indian Wells, including 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber.

Saturday, First Round

[12] Elina Svitolina (UKR #17) vs. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL #43)
Head-to-head: Svitolina leads 1-0 
Key Stat: Svitolina’s first Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance came last year on clay at the French Open.

A solid start to Svitolina’s season – one that saw her capture her fourth career title in Kuala Lumpur – came to a thudding halt in a rain-interrupted opening round loss to Alexandra Panova in Bogota. Nonetheless, the Ukranian youngster will look to rebound against 2009 US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer. Wickmayer reached the third round of the Miami Open, taking out Lucie Safarova en route, and her best result came in Acapulco, where she reached the semifinals – falling to eventual champion Sloane Stephens.

Both have yet to win a match on clay, but their only previous meeting came on the terre battue last spring, when Svitolina dropped four games on the Belgian en route to the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Svitolina is the steadier of the two, but the conditions in the Caja Magica could lend themselves better to the fiery Wickmayer’s aggressive play.

Pick: Svitolina in three

[16] Sloane Stephens (USA #21) vs. Teliana Pereira (BRA #84)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Stephens has gone on to win the title at every tournament in which she has won a match.

Sloane Stephens has had a season full of highs and lows to start 2016; despite earning three titles in Auckland, Acapulco, and Charleston, the American went out in the opening round of the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami. Stephens will try to get on another title-winning roll in her first match in Madird. Clay courter Teliana Pereira enjoyed a hugely successful season in 2015, one where she won her first WTA title in Bogota and earned a career-high ranking of No.43 last October.

Olympic pressure may be starting to get to the Brazilian, who lost her in the first round of her title defense to qualifier Catalina Pella in three grueling sets.

Pick: Stephens in two

Around the grounds: An all-Italian battle will take place on Court Manolo Santana as No.15 seed Sara Errani takes on Camila Giorgi, while Manhattan-born Spanish wildcard Paula Badosa Gibert opens the night session against Alizé Cornet. Badosa Gibert won last year’s junior French Open, perhaps an auspicious sign given how quickly 2014 champion Daria Kasatkina has come into her own in the year following her title run. In doubles, No.5 seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic begin their quest for a third straight title against Anna-Lena Groenefeld and CoCo Vandeweghe.

Source link

Bacsinszky Blasts Off To Rabat Title

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RABAT, Morocco – Timea Bacsinszky saved some of her best tennis for Saturday’s final against Marina Erakovic; the Swiss star faced few problems against the former World No.39, 6-2, 6-1, to capture her first title of 2016 at the GP SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem.

Watch live action from Prague & Rabat this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Bacsinszky reached the semifinals of last year’s French Open, and appears to be settling into similar form after racing through Rabat – losing just one set in five matches. Against Erakovic, she played a near-perfect match over the course of an hour and seven minutes, winning 75% of the Kiwi’s second serve points without facing a break point off her own delivery. Her fourth career WTA title, the only WTA tournament in Africa Bacsinszky’s first on red clay – all three of her previous victories came on hardcourts.

It might not have been the ideal finish for Erakovic in the final, but it was still an awe-inspiring week from the qualifier, who had nearly dropped outside the world’s Top 200 due to various injuries. Taking out Fed Cup hero Kiki Bertens in three grueling sets, the 28-year-old jumps up nearly 60 spots to within spitting distance of the Top 100.

More to come…

 

Source link