Tennis News

Courtney Nguyen, Point: Earlier this week, Petra Kvitova was asked what she would take from the 2016 season into next year. With her typical brand of understated wit, Kvitova said simply, “Myself.”

This has been a season of discovery for the two-time major champion, and she has a chance on Sunday to cap off her WTA season on a winning note. She parted ways with her long-time coach David Kotyza in January and has spent the year in search of herself, both on and off the court. The Kvitova who was a mainstay in the Top 10 and constant threat was nowhere to be found in the first seven months of the season, as the Czech sputtered to a 16-15 record, capped off with a disappointing second-round exit at her beloved Wimbledon.

The loss seemed to jolt something within Kvitova. Her form steadily improved over the summer hardcourt season, highlighted by Olympic bronze in Rio. Then came a semifinal run at the Connecticut Open and her first Round of 16 showing at a Slam in a year at the US Open. After a loss to eventual champion Angelique Kerber in New York, Kvitova fell to No.16 in the rankings, her lowest mark since 2011.

Then, as if finally unencumbered from expectation or pressure, Kvitova found her game in Asia. En route to her third final in her last four tournaments, Kvitova has resumed her near-unstoppable form in China. The signs of a resurgence began at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open in September, where she beat No.1 Angelique Kerber and proceeded to blitz the field to win her first title of the season. Since her 16-15 start to the season, Kvitova is now 29-7 since Wimbledon.

Playing in her first Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai as the No.3 seed, Kvitova has been the most dominant presence in the field this week in Zhuhai, rolling to the final without losing a set and spending just over three hours on court to win her three matches. Kvitova is 18-7 in finals, having won 8 of her last 11. Svitolina is 4-1 in finals, having split the two she’s played this year, winning Kuala Lumpur and losing in New Haven. The Ukrainian has yet to beat a Top 15 player in a final.

The Czech lefty has won five of her six meetings against Elina Svitolina, who is playing in the biggest final of her career on Sunday. The two played a few weeks ago in Wuhan and Kvitova won easily, 6-3, 6-1.

“With Svitolina I knew if I put the pressure on her, when she’s under the pressure she’s not playing as well as she is,” Kvitova said after beating Zhang Shuai in the semifinals on Saturday. Of course it’s always difficult to put a pressure on her because she is serving and returning well.”

An in-form Kvitova on a fast, low-bouncing court is a tough match-up for anyone on any given day, and it’s an even tougher task for Svitolina, who does not have the weapons off the ground to push Kvitova back. Unless Svitolina can keep consistent depth on her groundstrokes, this is going to be hitting practice for Kvitova. If Petra is on, it’s hard to see her losing this match.

David Kane, Counterpoint: Consistent depth is exactly what was on display during the second semifinal in Zhuhai. Svitolina of defensive memory was stepping into the court and taking big cuts on second serve returns against top seed Johanna Konta, winning five of the last six games to defeat the Brit, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

The Ukrainian youngster was the only player to have dropped a set en route to the semis. Some might say she struggled; Svitolina would say she’s been tested.

“I’ve won a lot of three-set matches, and I play good when the matches get long,” she said on Saturday night. “She came up with some good returns, couple of good returns, and I was under pressure.

“I was trying to say to myself, ‘Come on. This game is very important, the return, to put pressure back and to try to get back in the game.”

She heads into the biggest final of her young career with two wins of reigning World No.1s in 2016: Serena Williams at the Olympic tennis event, and Angelique Kerber at the China Open. Some credit the contributions of Hall of Famer Justine Henin; Svitolina looks more towards the physical improvements made since Wimbledon, all thanks to a new fitness coach.

“At this stage, when we’re already on a high level, you need to improve everything just a little bit,” she told WTA Insider earlier in the week. “Small details matter a lot; you just need to take time to adapt to new things. It’s very important because whenever you change something mentally or in your preparation, you have to know it’ll take time to show up on the court.

“You just need to be patient.”

Svitolina will need some of that patience against Kvitova, who has struck winners at will through much of her three match wins over Roberta Vinci, Barbora Strycova, and Zhang Shuai. The Czech star has left opponents flatfooted as she blistered shots from the back of the court. Across the net, the World No.14 has attempted to employ the sort of mind games seen from Svetlana Kuznetsova earlier in the Asian Swing.

“It’s the last tournament. I’m trying to think that I still have couple tournaments ahead of me. When you think about your last tournament you start to be really down in energy. You start to think about Maldives or something,” she joked, referring to her inevitable off-season destination.

“I try to enjoy the moment. I think it helped in the first match when I was down the first set. Staying in the moment really helps me a lot.”

Some might say she has a tough road ahead of her against Kvitova; Svitolina sees it “step by step.”

“I’ll need to react really fast and look for my opportunities,” she said when asked about Sunday’s final. “Just stay in the moment, because you never know when the opportunity is going to come.

“I will try just to focus on each point and we will see.”

– All photos courtesy of WTA Elite Trophy

It’s semifinal Friday at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open! And Chris Oddo is previewing both matchups right here at wtatennis.com.

Friday

Semifinals

[4] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. [14] Petra Kvitova (CZE #16)
Head-to-head: Halep leads, 3-0
Key Stat: Halep has won 24 of her last 27 matches

Two of the hottest players on tour will tangle for a spot in the prestigious Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open final on Friday, as Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova meet for the fourth time overall and second time in 2016. Halep has been absolutely on fire since Wimbledon, winning 24 of 27 matches while grabbing titles in Bucharest and Montreal, and the Romanian just locked up her third consecutive appearance at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global with her straight-sets win over Madison Keys. Halep is the only player remaining in the draw who has yet to drop a set in Wuhan but she’ll have her hands full with the suddenly scorching Petra Kvitova. The Czech was hovering around the .500 mark after Wimbledon but since then she has regained her daunting power game and won 18 of 23 matches. The only thing missing from Kvitova’s late-season turnaround? A final. Kvitova has reached multiple finals on tour in every year since she emerged as an elite player in 2011, but thus far this year she hasn’t been able to break through. It has already been a banner week for Kvitova, who notched her fourth career win over a reigning world No.1 when she defeated Angelique Kerber in a three-hour and 20-minute marathon in the round of 16. But she knows she’ll have to produce more electric tennis if she is to get past Halep for the first time. “It’s a new day and I will do everything possible, try my best,” Kvitova said of her winless past against Halep. “I lost to her last time so I have something to work on for tomorrow. I know how well she’s playing so I need to be ready.”

Pick: Kvitova in three

[9] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #10) vs. [10] Dominika Cibulkova (SVK #12)
Head-to-head: Cibulkova leads, 4-3
Key Stat: Kuznetsova owns a 17-6 record in three-set matches in 2016.

Svetlana Kuznetsova’s career resurgence continues at full throttle in 2016. By reaching the semifinals with a win over Agnieszka Radwanska, Kuznetsova is guaranteed to move into the WTA’s Top 8 for the first time since May 24, 2010. The 31-year-old has been a warrior all season, displaying rejuvenated fitness and a replenished passion for grinding it out on a weekly basis on tour. Kuznetsova has captured nearly half of her matches in deciding sets (17 of her 35 wins) and because of her hard work the Russian now finds herself contending for a coveted slot at this year’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The St. Petersburg native could find herself in the Top 8 in the RTS Standings by reaching the final, or even higher if she takes the title in Wuhan. On Thursday Kuznetsova saved a match point to defeat No. 3-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska for her fourth Top 10 win of the season. Also homing in on a Singapore spot is the ever feisty Dominika Cibulkova. The Slovakian survived double-duty on Thursday, defeating No.5-seeded Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Strycova to reach her seventh semifinal of the season. Cibulkova started the week at No.7 in the Road To Singapore leaderboard standings, and she could bolster her bid for a first appearance in Singapore with a strong finish in Wuhan. It’s not something that Cibulkova wants to dwell on, however. “Right now I’m not thinking about it,” the Slovak told WTA Insider after she won the Eastbourne title this summer. “In 2014 I was very close, and that’s what made me very intense and want it too much. I was over-motivated and it didn’t happen. So, I’m not thinking about it.” With so much on the line, Kuznetsova and Cibulkova’s first meeting since 2011 will likely come down to which player can execute best under pressure. The margins will be thin—they have met four times on hardcourts, with each player winning twice.

Pick: Cibulkova in three

By the Numbers:
1 – Kvitova is the only former Wuhan champion remaining in the draw.
53 – Career titles owned by the four semifinalists (Kvitova, 17, Kuznetsova, 16, Halep, 14, Cibulkova, 6).
10-1 – Kvitova’s career record at Wuhan.
5 – Kuznetsova has won her last five hardcourt semifinals.

WUHAN, China – Petra Kvitova produced a ruthless performance to power past No.4 seed Simona Halep and into a second Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open final.

Watch live action from Wuhan on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

In stark contrast to Dominika Cibulkova, the winner of Friday’s first semifinal, Kvitova kept her time on court to a minimum, requiring only 67 minutes to wrap up a 6-1, 6-2 victory and move within touching distance of reclaiming the title she won in 2014.

“It’s amazing. I came to this tournament and really didn’t expect this kind of performance,” Kvitova said. “Physically I’m still so-so – I’m really happy that I’m not falling apart. But I played a really great match today in spite of everything, which really put the pressure on her.”

On her day, there are few on tour capable of living with Kvitova. Unfortunately, this campaign those days have been few and far between. Struggling with form and fitness, it was not until the Olympics that the Czech showed her true colors, losing a thrilling semifinal against Monica Puig.

She would walk away with bronze, and although the color of medal was not what she had wished, the achievement alleviated the pressure weighing heavily on her shoulders. “The Olympics is just one in four years. For me the Olympic Games are very important. I grew up in a family where we were always watching the Olympics, so it’s something special.

“Everything I did from the off-season to Rio, I was just going for the medal. I think that’s helped me a lot with everything. The pressure was better afterwards.”

At the US Open, Kvitova reached the fourth round, falling to eventual champion Angelique Kerber, and the return to Asia has seen her level rise further. Kvitova’s unforced error count is usually an accurate gauge of how she is feeling and against Halep she was particularly stingy. In the end, she finished with only 16, while rattling off 34 winners – many of them spectacular.

Ruthless @Petra_Kvitova powers past #Halep 6-1, 6-2 to reach her 1st 2016 final at Wuhan Open, maintaining late WTA Finals charge pic.twitter.com/SX1otJBDF4

— Xinhua Sports (@XHSports) 30 September 2016

The tone was set early on, Halep finding herself marooned several meters behind the baseline. From here she failed to track down a drop shot to slip 0-30 down in her opening service game. Kvitova bludgeoned another winner to bring up three break points, converting when she outmaneuvered the Romanian once more.

Halep had the chance to restore parity the following game, only to flash a forehand into the tape. The match was quickly slipping away in a blur of southpaw winners, Kvitova winning 18 of the next 19 points to take the set. The second set was almost as one-sided, and only a spirited rearguard effort from Halep in the final few games extended the contest beyond the hour mark. 

Remarkably given her form, the win takes Kvitova through to her first final of 2016. And another against Cibulkova will continue her improbable late push for a spot at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“I never have any expectations. I really love to play these big matches, in front of the crowd. Of course I will do my best tomorrow,” Kvitova added. “I think she’s improved a lot, so it will be a difficult match and I will fight again.”

BEIJING, China – Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki kept up her impressive fall form with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 win over CoCo Vandeweghe, to reach the second round of the China Open.

Watch live action from Beijing on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“I’ve been healthy,” she said in her post-match press conference. “I’ve been able to train well. I’ve been playing well. It’s a combination of that. It’s the end of the year. I have a few more tournaments left, so I’m going to try to do my best.”

Ranked No.74 in the world heading into the US Open, the Dane has lost just twice since then, reaching the semifinals in Flushing and winning her first title of the season at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. Against Vandeweghe, Wozniacki raced out to a 5-1 lead in the decider before the American began to come back.

“It’s hard. I mean, she serves big. Her first and second serve is pretty big. It’s not like you think, ‘Okay, she missed a first serve, now I have a good chance to attack on the second.’

“She’s just a tough player to play because you get no rhythm. It’s the first match. You want to get into the tournament. A combination of that is tough.”

Serving for the match for a second time, Wozniacki shook off missing out on two match points in the previous game to hold at love, booking a second round meeting with No.13 seed Roberta Vinci.

“I started off pretty well, could return quite a few of her serves, put her under pressure. Then in the second set she started serving a bit better. That got me a little bit too much into the defense. Then she went for some shots and broke me. All of a sudden I had to keep trying to fight back.

“In the third set, again, I managed to return pretty well. I think that made the difference.”

Vinci will represent a complete contrast from Vandeweghe, a challenge Wozniacki looks forward to solving in Beijing.

“It’s another uncomfortable player. She mixes it up. She plays the flat forehand. Mix of pace. I’m ready for it. I’m just going to go out there and enjoy.”

Kicking off the day’s action was No.8 seed Madison Keys, who currently rounds out the Top 8 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard.

“It’s definitely in the back of your mind every match; it’s just another thing to try to deal with,” Keys said after the match. “I’m happy to be in this position because it means I’ve had a good year. It’s a welcome stress!”

Hoping to clinch her WTA Finals debut, the young American can qualify outright by winning the title this week, but had some struggles against local wildcard Duan Ying-Ying, eventually coming through, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1.

“I had a really good first set, and she was probabaly a little bit nervous playing in front of her home crowd; I don’t think she played her best tennis. But in the second set, she played better and my level dropped. In the third, I was just trying to focus on keeping my energy up to get back into the match. Once I got some momentum, I was able to hang onto that.

“It’s definitely tough conditions, really humid out here. It’s not the hottest, but it’s not always easy to breathe out there with the humidity. That’s just where your fitness comes in, and focusing on doing your best.”

Up next for Keys is Kristina Mladenovic, who outlasted Jelena Jankovic, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(4); the pair last played at the Olympic tennis event, which also went to a third set tie-break.

“I’ve played Kiki a couple of times this year; the last time was in Rio and that was quite a thrilling match. She’d be a tough opponent.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

Dominika Cibulkova’s journey back from last year’s Achilles surgery has been far from straightforward. However, over the past six months the Slovak has completed the rehabilitation with a sequence of results that have returned her to the Top 10.

In Katowice this March she returned to the winner’s circle, which she followed  up by reaching a maiden Premier Mandatory final, in Madrid, and then further silverware, this time on the Eastbourne grass. Her latest run, to the final of last week’s Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open took Cibulkova’s 2016 win tally now stands at 44 – a number only bettered by World No.1 Angelique Kerber.

Strangely, given her assured play all week, Cibulkova had never previously won a match in Wuhan. But roused by an engaged crowd, the 27-year-old reeled off five in six days to come within touching distance of her first Premier 5 title and break new ground in the rankings.

The brilliance of her final opponent, Petra Kvitova – whose revival took her up to No.11 – ensured there was no silverware at the end of the week, but she was unable to stop Cibulkova from reaching a career-high No.8.

And she is not the only player on the rise:

Svetlana Kuznetsova (+3, No.10 to No.7): Cibulkova’s semifinal victim Kuznetsova continued her resurgence to consolidate her Top 10 status and reach her loftiest perch since June 2010. 

Louisa Chirico (+11, No.74 to No.63): Although Chirico was handily beaten by contemporary Daria Kasatkina in the Wuhan second round, by coming through qualifying she begins the week at her highest ranking to date.

Kristyna Pliskova (+34, No.100 to No.66): Last week’s other title winner, Pliskova, did it the hard way coming through an opening test against Sara Sorribes Tormo, then winning a rollercoaster final with Nao Hibino. This ended a wait to join sister Karolina as a WTA title winner and also brought a new career-high ranking.