Tennis News

BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland/BOGOTA, Colombia – The Ladies Open Biel Bienne will make its debut on the WTA circuit this week. The second annual tournament in Switzerland is played on indoor hard-courts. While the Claro Open Colsanitas continues the spring, clay court season. Since it’s upgrade to a WTA-level event in 1998, the Colombian tournament has evolved into one of the most prestigious sporting events in all of Latin America.

1) The Swiss are out with a vengeance.
Three Swiss players are playing in Biel/Bienne this week. Belinda Bencic, former World No.7 was given a wildcard into the tournament, while Rebeka Masarova is back at home after making her debut to the women’s tour at Gstaad in 2016 – beating former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic in the first round. Finally, Viktorija Golubic who went on to win the tile in Gstaad, is also in action.

2) Strycova leads in Swiss field.
Top seed Barbora Strycova will aim to win her second career title in Biel/Bienne after strong results at the Miami Open in singles and doubles. Her last title came in 2011 at the Tournoi de Québec – another indoor hardcourt event. 

3) Babos, Niculescu anchor quarter of contrasts.
There are few match-ups more fun than those that provide a contrast in styles, one of which we may get if No.3 seed Timea Babos and No.8 seed Monica Niculescu advance into the last eight. Niculescu leads their head-to-head 3-2, but Babos won both of their 2016 encounters.

4) Carla Suárez Navarro back on form after injury.
Suárez Navarro looks nearly back to her best after an injury-addled start to 2017, she will come into Biel as the No.2 seed after reaching the quarterfinals in Monterry last week.

5) Vinci gets KrisPlis rematch in Biel/Bienne.
Roberta Vinci was a game away from knocking out Kristyna Pliskova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships before Karolina’s twin sister stunned the Italian veteran in three sets. The two face off again in the first round in Biel/Bienne, Vinci the No.4 seed.

6) Kiki Bertens will start in Colombia as the No.1 seed.
The Dutchwoman reached her career high in February, cracking the World’s Top 20. She is set to play 20-year-old Nina Stojanovic in the first round.

7) Irina Falconi is back to defend her title in Bogota.
The World No.105 has has struggled with injury since winning her maiden WTA title last spring, but she will be fighting to defend it this week. The American faces Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic in the first round.

8) Errani to face streaking Alexandrova.
Former French Open finalist Sara Errani will begin her red clay swing in earnest down in Bogota, but will first have to get past the on-fire Ekaterina Alexandrova. The young Russian comes to Colombia on the back of 10 straight wins and two ITF titles in China and France.

9) Siniakova aims to bring doubles success to singles court in Bogota.
20-year-old Katerina Siniakova started the season with a singles title in Shenzhen, and has since shown her best tennis on the doubles court with Lucie Hradecka, reaching finals at the BNP Paribas Open and the Volvo Car Open last week. The Czech will aim to rediscover her singles form in Bogota, where she will be the No.2 seed.

10) Can Arruabarrena reclaim her Colombian crown.
Lara Arruabarrena won the Claro Open Colsanitas in 2012, and has shown some improved hardcourt form at the Miami Open, where she upset Madison Keys en route to the fourth round. The No.4 seed in Bogota, she opens against a qualifier.

World No.8 Agnieszka Radwanska knows what it’s like to be a teenage queen.

The Pole won her first WTA title at the age of 18 in 2007, and reached both her first Grand Slam quarterfinal and the world’s top 10 the next season. A decade later, WTA teenagers were in the spotlight on Sunday as Daria Kasatkina defeated Jelena Ostapenko to win the first all-teenaged final at a WTA event since 2009 at the Volvo Car Open.

For Radwanska, who turned professional at the age of 16, game recognizes game.

“Now I know what my opponents must have felt like back then. I have to say, the younger players on tour right now are dangerous,” Radwanska wrote in a Straits Times column this week. “We talk about it among ourselves. ‘The kids are coming!’ I think the new generation of players are just better than earlier in my career. They really play smart. From a young age, they’re already pushing to play tournaments and matches. They’re sacrificing a lot but that means they’re very good when they’re 16 or 17.”

Recognizing that she is now closer to the end of her career than the beginning, the 28-year-old reflected on playing a full schedule over the course of her years on the circuit, and how growing up in tennis has evolved.  

“When I was a junior, I played tournaments and went to school at the same time, and I went step by step. I had a pretty normal life, only unlike my friends I didn’t have much time for myself….I’ve been on tour for so long. I haven’t had any breaks. I’ve had a couple of surgeries but I always had those during the off-season and I’m always ready for the majors. I’ve played 43 Grand Slams in a row.”

She added: “My goal now is to maximize the time I have left on tour, and that means being as efficient as possible in my schedule by making the most of my opportunities.”

In the lead-up to the Oct 22-29 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the eight singles players from last year will pen a monthly exclusive column for The Straits Times. The second installment features 2015 champion Agnieszka Radwanska — read it in full here.

After a hard-fought second round win over Magda Linette, Bank of the West Classic top seed and former No.1 Venus Williams treated a fan to an extra special surprise.

After catching one of the autographed tennis balls Venus hit into the crowd, Emily was invited down by Andrew Krasny to take a selfie with the five-time Wimbledon winner. Within minutes, she was whisked back stage to meet Venus’ sister, World No.1 and 22-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, where they also took a photo.

Relive one magic night in Stanford in the latest episode of Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises.

Very cool. Venus hits a ball into the crowd and invites the catcher to come down for a selfie. #BOTWClassic pic.twitter.com/G1fYt4wLHF

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) July 21, 2016

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – Yanina Wickmayer put friendship to one side on Friday afternoon to defeat No.4 seed Kristina Mladenovic and take her place in the semifinals of the Citi Open.

Watch live action from Washington DC, Bastad and Stanford this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Breaks at the end of the second and third sets proved the difference in a tight affair as Wickmayer prevailed, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to book a meeting with No.6 seed Yulia Putintseva for a place in the final.

Wickmayer and Mladenovic are close off the court, a relationship which complicated matters going into their quarterfinal meeting. “Yeah it’s difficult, I think we went for dinner five or six times in the past week, it’s tough playing her and being her opponent today,” Wickmayer said afterwards. “I had to work hard because she plays such good tennis.”

Early on it appeared like it would be the Frenchwoman bringing the bragging rights to their next dinner date. However, after dropping the first set, Wickmayer grabbed the initiative in the second, three forehand winners bringing her the decisive break in the eighth game.

The third was just as evenly contested. Wickmayer made her move early, only to surrender this advantage with a misjudged drop shot at 3-2. A game later, the Belgian was back in front, and this time there would be no second chances, confidently serving out for a place in just her second semifinal of the season.

Putintseva ensured she would be fresh for their last four showdown by comfortably seeing off the unseeded Risa Ozaki, 6-4, 6-2.

Also impressing was wildcard Jessica Pegula, who knocked out top seed and former US Open champion Samantha Stosur, 7-6(4), 6-3, to reach her maiden WTA semifinal. There she will face the winner of the evening session between another American, Lauren Davis, and Camila Giorgi.

BOGOTA, Colombia – Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone needed barely over an hour to take down top seed Kiki Bertens and book her place in the Claro Open Colsanitas semifinals, 6-1, 6-4.

The 36-year-old Italian, who is playing in her last season of professional tennis after announcing her retirement plans earlier in the year, will cap off her final trip to Bogota with her first semifinal appearance at the tournament – and her first semifinal of 2017.

.@Schiavone_Fra breezes through the opening set vs Bertens 6-1! pic.twitter.com/2I1ny6kz6r

— WTA (@WTA) 13 de abril de 2017

The semifinals seemed a long way off for Schiavone in the opening set, however, as she started off sluggish and struggled physically with lingering shoulder pains as she dropped her opening service game.

But the former French Open champion drew on all her experience to put it out of her mind and steamroll past a flat Bertens, who was playing her second match of the day after defeating fellow Dutch qualifier Cindy Burger in their rain delayed second round encounter.

Bertens’ normally powerful groundstrokes were missing their bite as she sprayed unforced errors and double faults to keep Schiavone in the match, dropping serve three times as the Italian snatched up six games in a row to comfortably wrap up the opening set.

.@Schiavone_Fra reaches @CopaWTABogota Semifinals!

Beats Bertens 6-1, 6-4! pic.twitter.com/ClrNY8T1WS

— WTA (@WTA) 13 de abril de 2017

The top seed put up a better fight in the second, finding her first serves to keep pace with Schiavone before the Italian came away with the crucial break early on to go up 2-1. Bertens was never able to get it back or put any pressure on the Schiavone serve as they stayed on serve to send the Italian through to her first semifinal of the year.

It won’t get any easier for Schiavone in the next round as she looks to reach her 19^th career singles final; up next is the highest seed left in the draw, No.3 seed Johanna Larsson.

Larsson fought past a determined Sara Errani in a tight straights sets encounter to advance 7-5, 6-4 and take the final spot in the Claro Open Colsanitas semifinals.

More to follow…

BOGOTA, Colombia – 2012 champion Lara Arruabarrena battled back from the brink in a three-set rollercoaster against fellow Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to return to the final at the Claro Open Colsanitas.

“I’m so happy to be back into the final here in Bogota,” Arruabarrena told press after the match. “Sara and I know each other very well, we even shared a room at Indian Wells, Miami and here in Bogota we’ve been sharing a room. We’re really good friends, which made this match even more complicated emotionally.

“Last night we talked about it and we told each other, ‘Listen, it’s just another match. We’ll go on court and be enemies during the match, but as soon as it’s over we forget all about it and put it behind us.'”

Both players came into the all-Spanish semifinal after advancing in marathon quarterfinal battles, each needing three sets and almost three hours to move on. But Arruabarrena spent nearly three hours longer on court as she played an additional two doubles matches after rain delays earlier in the week wreaked havoc on the tournament schedule.

Incredible rally from both @LaraArrua and @Sara_Sorribes! ? ? pic.twitter.com/PfaHJ4369p

— WTA (@WTA) 14 de abril de 2017

It didn’t look like Arruabarrena felt tired at all after snatching away the opening set after three breaks to a nervy Sorribes Tormo. The 20-year-old was looking for her first WTA final after breaking new ground in Bogota, but double faults plagued her game throughout the match (she would hit 12 in total).

Sorribes Tormo picked up steam in the second, though, as Arruabarrena’s serve abandoned her as well and the pair six straight breaks. They kept toe-to-toe until Sorribes Tormo roared ahead to take the late break and send the match into a decider.

With the momentum firmly on the younger Spaniard’s side, Arruabarrena saw herself slip behind in the score as Sorribes Tormo broke twice to open up a daunting 4-0 lead.

.@LaraArrua reels off SIX straight games!

Books a spot in @CopaWTABogota Final with 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Sorribes Tormo! pic.twitter.com/a2YW8KIGvO

— WTA (@WTA) 14 de abril de 2017

But with her back against the wall, Arruabarrena produced some of her best tennis of the tournament to get back both breaks, firing off forehand winners from every angle of the court. Sorribes Tormo’s service woes reared their head once again and her go-to shot, the backhand slice, broke down under Arruabarrena’s renewed assault.

Arruabarrena reeled off six games in a row to find her way back from the brink and see off her countrywoman, returning to the Bogota final after five years.

“I feel like I played the whole match well, despite starting a little nervy which is normal in a semifinal,” Arruabarrena explained. “I was able to impose my rhythm throughout, but Sara is such a fighter and she waits for her chances.

“When I was 0-4 down I just told myself, remember what you did in the first set. Stay aggressive, come up to the net more. I also knew all the pressure was on her, trying to reach her first final. I think the experience helped me in the end. I’m proud of my mental strength I showed, too.”

She awaits the winner between No.3 seed Johanna Larson and Francesca Schiavone.

STANFORD, CA, USA – Johanna Konta produced an classy display at the Bank of the West Classic to defeat Dominika Cibulkova and advance to the first final of her career.

Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Displaying all the poise that has characterized her rapid ascent over the past 12 months, Konta outplayed 2013 champion Cibulkova from first point until last, triumphing 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 14 minutes.

A picture of calm throughout, Konta’s could not hide her emotions when Cibulkova send a forehand sailing long on match point, emitting a scream of delight. “It’s a release of emotions, because I felt I needed to do a very good job of focusing on myself, my own game. And I was very happy I was able to do that and that’s what happens when you try to stay calm for so long,” Konta told on-court interviewer Andrew Krasny.

Think she's excited? @JoKonta91 defeats @Cibulkova 6-4, 6-2. #BOTWClassic pic.twitter.com/spYxrdeGKA

— BOTW Classic (@BOTWClassic) 23 July 2016

“I was trying to focus just on the circumstances and not anything that was going on around me. I enjoyed being out here, playing in front of a great crowd and am excited to come back tomorrow.”

This time last year she was embarking on a 16-match win streak that began on the ITF Circuit and ended in the second week of the US Open.

On her return Konta has looked every inch the Top 20 player, and judging by her form against Cibulkova she could yet rise further. A pin-point forehand return brought her an early break, and with her own serve impenetrable it was an advantage she never looked like squandering.

The second set was even more impressive, Konta conceding only two points on serve as she cruised to victory. She is the third Briton to contest the final in Stanford – Sue Barker beat Virginia Wade to the title the 1977 – and there she will face two-time champion Venus Williams.

Carrying the momentum she picked up at Wimbledon with her across the Atlantic, Williams has been in fine form this week. And for the first half an hour or so of her semifinal against Alison Riske, it looked like the would reach her 80th career final a canter.

Riske’s fighting spirit ensured the second set was far more competitive, but despite holding a couple of set points she was unable to prevent Williams winning, 6-1, 7-6(2).

“I was at the finish line and playing well, but getting killed on these points where I hit amazing first serves, so all credit to her because she played her best tennis when it was almost over,” WIlliams said.