Miami: Karolina Pliskova Pre-Tournament Interview
Find out what the Czech had to say before the start of the Miami Open.
Find out what the Czech had to say before the start of the Miami Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Monica Puig survived a full-on service onslaught from Kristyna Pliskova, who fired off a record 31 aces in their second-round match before losing 4-6, 7-6(6), 9-7.
“At one point I just had to laugh, during the changeover, because it was so unbelievable,” Puig commented after the win.
Pliskova’s dominant serve is the hallmark of her game, and it was in full strength during the match. Her 31 aces set a new women’s tennis record, breaking Sabine Lisicki’s previous record of 27 aces last year in Birmingham.
But even making tennis history was no consolation for the tough loss.
“I don’t care about that right now,” Pliskova said to press afterwards. “It’s nice, but I wish I could have hit like 20 and won.”
Puig, who made the biggest final of her career last week in Sydney, approached the booming serve by keeping a positive mentality even when the win seemed just out of reach – she saved three match points in a row in the second set tie-break and another two in the third set.
“I think I just tried to stay as positive as possible, even though it was difficult at times,” Puig said. “You know, you get upset: she fires another ace and you’re just like, okay! I just tried to stay relaxed in those important moments.”
“I think it’s just about believing that you can come out of a moment like that, that at any moment you can get a second wind and come out of it.”
Up next for the 22-year-old Puerto Rican is the No.4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Radwanska defeated the resurgent Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-2 in the second round (read about the win – here).
The all-time WTA leaderboard for most aces in a single match (WTA main draw-level only):
31 – Kristyna Pliskova
[l. Monica Puig in 2016 Australian Open second round, 4-6, 7-6(6), 9-7]
27 – Sabine Lisicki
[d. Belinda Bencic in 2015 Birmingham second round, 6-1, 7-6(4)]
24 – Serena Williams
[d. Victoria Azarenka in 2012 Wimbledon semifinals, 6-3, 7-6(6)]
24 – Kaia Kanepi
[d. Lucie Safarova in 2008 Tokyo [Japan Open] first round, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4]
23 – Serena Williams
[d. Zheng Jie in 2012 Wimbledon third round, 6-7(5), 6-2, 9-7]
Highlights of the Day 3 match at the Miami Open between Dominika Cibulkova and Veronica Cepede Royg.
Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs were the best doubles team at the start of the new millenium; the US-Aussie pair began 2000 with their first major title at the Australian Open, becoming Co-No.1s just before that year’s US Open.
Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez became Co-No.1s in the summer of 2004 after capturing the first two legs of the Calendar Year Grand Slam, winning a total of eight majors as a team.
Lisa Raymond ascended to Co-No.1 again in 2006, this time with Aussie Sam Stosur, with whom she reached five major finals – winning two at the 2005 US Open and 2006 French Open.
Liezel Huber joined Cara Black atop the WTA Doubles rankings at the end of 2007, when the team won the WTA Finals in Madrid – capping a successful successful season that saw them win two of the four major tournaments at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
The sport’s preeminent sister act have dominated the doubles scene throughout their storied singles careers, winning three Olympic Gold medals in addition to their 13 Grand Slam doubles titles.
Flavia Pennetta joined partner and good friend Gisela Dulko a few weeks after the two won their first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open; the team known as Dulketta had also ended 2010 with a win at the WTA Finals in Doha.
Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik both became No.1 for the first time after winning their first major title at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships.
Liezel Huber become Co-No.1 with a second partner in the spring of 2012; that partner was none other than Lisa Raymond, who was back at Co-No.1 with a third partner in her historic career. The Americans paired up ahead of the London Olympics, and cementing their partnership with the 2011 US Open title.
Italians Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci had each been No.1 apart, but finally shared the top spot in 2013, not long after toppling the Williams sisters en route to their first Australian Open title.
Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai had burst onto the scene in 2013 after winning the Wimbledon Championships, and consolidated their place as the best team in the world when they became Co-No.1s a few weeks before winning their second major title at the 2014 French Open.
Sania Mirza capped an undefeated run through three straight tournaments by reaching No.1 last spring, but it wasn’t until the start of 2016 that Swiss Miss Martina Hingis was able to ascend to the top spot as well; the pair have been undefeated since August, with wins at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the 2015 WTA Finals in Singapore.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – World Co-No.1 Martina Hingis kept her hopes of a first Olympic medal alive as she and countrywoman Timea Bacsinszky blasted past No.3 seeds Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching, 6-3, 6-0 to reach the semifinals of the Olympic tennis event in women’s doubles.
Bacsinszky bounced back from a disappointing first round defeat in singles to play just her second doubles tournament of 2016 alongside Hingis, the reigning US Open, WTA Finals and Australian Open champion.
Together, the pair have dropped just one set through their first three matches, and were particularly dominant against the Chans – a formidable pair who were the last team to defeat Hingis and then-partner Sania Mirza before the duo went on a 41-match winning streak – winning the second set in just 35 minutes.
After going down an early break to start, the No.5 seeds broke serve six straight times to book a semifinal encounter No.6 seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic. Hlavackova and Hradecka captured the silver medal at the London Olympics, falling to three-time Olympic champions Venus and Serena Williams, and saved three match points to defeat Russians Daria Kasatkina and Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.
Hingis is playing her first Olympic tennis event since 1996, when she was 15 years old.
On the top half of the draw, Czechs Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova kept up their giant-killing run with a three-set win over former World No.1s Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci. The Italians reunited for the Olympics, but fell in a tough 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Safarova and Strycova, who began their tournament with a win over the Williams sisters.
Rogers Cup champions Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina had a rough itinerary down to Rio for the Olympics, but the Russians have made up for lost prep time in impressive fashion, easing past No.4 seeds Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro, 6-3, 6-4.
No.5 seed Maria Sharapova survived a hiccup to reach the second week of the Australian Open – and earn a career milestone – with a three-set win over American Lauren Davis.
Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig is set to become Puerto Rico’s first women to win an Olympic medal as she advanced to the gold medal match with a three-set win over Petra Kvitova, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
As a result, Puig will become the first woman representing Puerto Rico to win an Olympic medal and has the chance to become the first athlete from Puerto Rico – man or woman – to win a gold medal.
#PicaPower, the world No.34’s rallying cry on social media, became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter following her victory.
Dreams come true when you work hard enough to get them! Going all the way! #JuegosOlimpicos #Tenis ?❤️?? #EquipoPUR pic.twitter.com/AI7QaVXKaT
— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) August 11, 2016
Entering the gold medal match, Puig has won a career-best 36 main draw matches in 2016, more than she won in the previous two seasons.
But perhaps most impressive… did Puig forecast her success in Rio back on July 27 when she shared with her Twitter following that she introduced “Rio Puig” to the Twitter-verse?
Meet the newest addition to my family! “Rio Puig” ? #NewBaby pic.twitter.com/hpdwKJGlG0
— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) July 27, 2016
While Puig will become the first woman representing Puerto Rico to win an Olympic medal, Gigi Fernandez, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, won two gold medals in doubles for the United States playing alongside Mary Joe Fernandez in 1992 and 1996. Gigi was quick to join in the celebration.
MEDALLA. ??MEDALLA. ??MEDALLA ??para @MonicaAce93 y @PuertoRicoPUR ?????? POR FIN!!!! No puedo de la emocion!
— Gigi Fernandez (@gigifernandez) August 12, 2016
No matter what happens in Saturday’s Gold Medal match, we know Puig will have one fan firmly in her corner:
So some good news today though! Rio started puppy school and is doing a fantastic job!!!! Im a proud mama ❤️?? pic.twitter.com/Yb9RVzcPnK
— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) August 10, 2016
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