Next Stop, Acapulco & Kuala Lumpur: Who Will Shine On The International Stage?
Top 20 players’ schedules, upcoming tournaments, birthdays and more – check out what’s on tap for this week on the WTA as the tour stops in Acapulco and Kuala Lumpur.
Top 20 players’ schedules, upcoming tournaments, birthdays and more – check out what’s on tap for this week on the WTA as the tour stops in Acapulco and Kuala Lumpur.
Duan Ying-Ying had Thursday’s shot of the day at the Alya WTA Malaysian Open.
ACAPULCO, Mexico – No.2 seed Kristina Mladenovic needed three sets and over three and a half hours but she’s through to the quarterfinals at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel after a marathon battle against Heather Watson, 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-5.
The epic, three-hour-and-thirty-two minute encounter clocks in as the longest WTA match of the season so far; only Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic’s Australian Open battle was longer at three hours and thirty-six minutes.
“Oh my god, what can I even say,” an exhausted Mladenovic told wtatennis.com after the match. “The conditions here were very difficult – the humidity is ridiculous and I think we both struggled physically.”
Monster forehand from @KiKiMladenovic! ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/kfRQX5NZhw
— WTA (@WTA) March 2, 2017
The blistering conditions in southern Mexico were heating up even more on Grandstand Caliente, with Mladenovic employing her doubles prowess to attack at the net and Heather staying solid from the baseline. The Frenchwoman struggled with her throughout the match, racking up nine double faults in the first set alone – she would hit 20 in total.
There were several twists and turns as both players struggled to establish momentum; Watson started off with a strong trio of breaks to give herself a 4-1 lead, before Mladenovic reeled off four games in a row to rip it away. Mladenovic edged through in the tiebreak, winning four points on the bounce from 4-4 to take the opening set.
The pair traded breaks twice in the second set, with Watson holding her nerve to break back each time as Mladenovic continued to apply all-court pressure, but the Brit relied on her down-the-line backhands to see her through in the second tiebreak.
Watson showed her grit to bat away two of Mladenovic’ match points at 5-3 in the third with a stinging, crosscourt backhand, before another double fault from the Frenchwomen gave her the break back. After managing to level the score at 5-5, Watson seemed to run out of steam, winning just three points in the next two games as Mladenovic closed out the match.
3 hours and 31 minutes!@KiKiMladenovic battles past Watson 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-5 for a spot in @AbiertoTelcel Quarterfinals! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/uSgCvrlr0j
— WTA (@WTA) March 2, 2017
Despite Watson’s 59 winners to 29 unforced errors against Mladenovic’s 22 and 23, it was Mladenovic who proved more solid in the big moments, creating and converting more break opportunities.
“These kind of matches, I’m not really satisfied with the way I played – I’m not sure it was really the best quality tennis – but I’m actually very satisfied with the fighting,” Mladenovic explained.
“We both of us, we never gave up. It was up and down; I was down big time in the first set and I came back and won it. I also had match points in the end and she saved them, actually beautifully, and she came back.
“That was just grit. A mental battle. I’m just satisfied and proud to pull this one through.”
Mladenovic will be right back on Grandstand Caliente tomorrow to take on Kirsten Flipkens for a spot in the Acapulco semifinals. The Belgian advanced after Ajla Tomljanovic was forced to retire from their match due to a right shoulder injury.
Tired @KiKiMladenovic? ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/Mc7tcHs6G2
— WTA (@WTA) March 2, 2017
Nicole Gibbs took some extra special friends along – including NFL pros Cameron Fleming and Shayne Skov – for some cliff diving and boat riding during her week in Acapulco.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Ashleigh Barty cruised into the semifinals of the Alya Malaysian Open after defeating Zhang Kai-Lin in straight sets, winning 6-0, 7-6(2).
Barty, who defeated fellow qualifier Maya Kato in the previous round, flew through the opening set 6-0 but was pushed closer in the second before winning the breaker 7-2.
“It wasn’t a breeze at all,” said the Australian afterwards. “I think I started well and I served particularly well at the start. I was able to get that early jump and get some early momentum but it didn’t matter what the score was in the first set, Kai-Lin’s a quality player, she really is, and I knew that second set was going to be a battle no matter what.”
.@AshBar96 reaches first #WTA Semifinal at @alyawtamo!
Downs Zhang 6-0, 7-6 (2)! pic.twitter.com/AEF2YWfvjW
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
Zhang actually had the chance to serve for the second set before the match went to the breaker.
“I played a pretty poor game at 5-5,” added Barty. “But I was just happy to break straight back and move on and then play a quality tiebreak as well. Now I’m excited to be in my first semifinal and we just have to chip away throughout the year and hope the good results will come.”
Victory for Barty sets up a semifinal showdown with Han Xinyun, who came out on top of the battle of the Chinese, beating Wang Qiang 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4.
With the match evenly balanced at a set apiece, Wang recovered from a break down in the decider, winning three games on the spin to level at 4-4 before Han took the final two games to secure victory.
“The first set was really hot and the sun almost killed me!” said Han afterwards. “Into the second set I tried to stay aggressive and positive and could feel that she tired and in the third set we both tried really hard but I really played my tennis in the last two games. I made a really good winner and put a lot of pressure on her. I was 0-40 in the last game but I never gave up.”
“I like her so much because she is so talented,” said Han of her semifinal opponent. “She’s played really good tennis this week and I’m so excited to play her tomorrow so I hope it’s going to be a good match.”
Han is yet to win a WTA title and, like Barty, this run for the world no.139 represents her best to date .
Australia’s Ashleigh Barty took on Japan’s Nao Hibino in the final of the ALYA Malaysian Open.
Lesia Tsurenko came to the Abierto Mexicano Telcel on a mission after a tough loss at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The No.7 seed ended up rolling to her third career title in Acapulco, dismissing February favorite Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets to return to the Top 50 ahead of the BNP Paribas Open, one of her favorite tournaments.
WTA Insider caught up with the Ukrainian after her on-court fiesta to discuss the key to her confidence, her work with a new fitness coach, and how she hopes to hold onto that sombrero given to her during the trophy ceremony.
WTA Insider: I have to start with this: was this your first time wearing a sombrero?
Tsurenko: It was, but that’s because it was my first time winning a title in Mexico! Wearing a sombrero will always be something special for me and I’m glad this was the first time.
WTA Insider: In such a tense second set, what was going through your mind at 4-5 when you were serving to stay in it after all those breaks?
Tsurenko: I think I played really well in the first set, and I felt very confident. In the second, she changed her game a little bit and she started to play more aggressively. I was also getting more nervous because I felt this title was getting closer to me. The most important game was definitely on my serve at 4-5, and I was really happy to hold on. I felt like I could finish that match there.
WTA Insider: Kiki’s had such a good couple of weeks, but you’d beaten her three times before; what is your mindset going in against that type of player?
Tsurenko: I’ve beaten her before, but I also lost to her in Dubai last year. I know how she plays pretty well; she’s got a good serve and forehand. I was trying to focus on the way that I play and on my shots. I think that works well for me because it’s just you on your side of the court, and it makes me more nervous to start thinking about the opponent. Just hit the ball and do your shots; that’s the key, and then just fight for every point.
WTA Insider: You’ve had some tough draws to start the season – playing Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open and Peng Shuai in Dubai. How were you feeling at the start of the week and is this title something of a surprise?
Tsurenko: I was quite disappointed with my disappointment in Dubai, so I was really concentrating here. I really wanted to play well here to show some good tennis after disappointing results in Dubai. That worked really well for me; I was concentrating on each point in every match and it worked well. I’m really happy to get the title.
WTA Insider: You’re a player whose struggled with injuries; when we last spoke, you were dragging around a big ice bag for your knee at the US Open. This week, it was some of your opponents who were having some injury and illness issues. How were you feeling to be on the other end, to be the fitter and healthier player?
Tsurenko: I’ve had quite a few injuries, but I try not to think about those. That’s just how it is and I’m getting fitter and fitter. I’ve been working on my body, and that’s been working well for me, just to feel balanced in every angle of tennis. The beginning of the year was strange for me; I had a virus in Brisbane, and still feeling unwell in Hobart. Everything’s in the past, and I hope to get a lot of confidence from this win.
WTA Insider: You played Acapulco for the first time just a few years ago, and you’ve gone from qualies to being a seed, winning the title. What do you make of how fast some of your improvements have been, winning three titles in the last 18 months?
Tsurenko: I’ve improved my fitness, and I also feel more confident on court, especially with my serve and my groundstrokes. I’m not afraid to make winners and be aggressive. I also feel like I’ve improved my defense; I’m moving well around the court and that gives me some good results.
WTA Insider: Are you a player who feels like they need confidence to be aggressive on the court?
Tsurenko: Fitness is the most important thing for me, because then I feel like I can play without mistakes, and stay on court for a long time. I’m able to stay concentrated in final sets – when I have to play those. For me, fitness is the biggest difference, but I’ve also become more aggressive on my serve and return. These two things are essential in women’s tennis.
.@LTsurenko thanks the @AbiertoTelcel fans for the great support ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/h6lpwtuf4u
— WTA (@WTA) March 5, 2017
WTA Insider: Speaking of fitness, talk a bit about your team; what kind of changes have you made in terms of recovery?
Tsurenko: I’m still working with the same tennis coach for the last four years now. I’m very happy with the results we’ve had together. But I do have a new fitness coach, Denis Vaschuk, who is helping to make my body stronger and more balanced. I think that’s the big advantage for me now, having him on my team. We work when I’m in Ukraine, and I also get some exercises from him even when we’re not traveling together. We keep in touch and that makes me feel even more confident in my fitness and movement.
WTA Insider: Up next for you is the BNP Paribas Open, where you’ve played some pretty epic matches over the last couple years. What do you like about that tournament and what are you looking forward to most over the next two weeks?
Tsurenko: First of all, I like hardcourts in general, and I really enjoy the tournament in Indian Wells. I like the atmosphere there, and I think the surface suits me well; it’s not too fast, so I can show everything that I can do on the court. I like the conditions, and the improvements they make every year; they make the tournament so comfortable for players. I’m really excited to go there now because I know they’ve been making even more renovations. I hope to get there Sunday so I can see everything.
WTA Insider: What is the one big memory or big moment you’ll take away from this week?
Tsurenko: The sombrero! I don’t know if they’ll let me keep it, but for sure, I’m going to get some nice photos and some good memories.
Love the Sombrero!
Congrats @LTsurenko, lift that @AbiertoTelcel trophy ? pic.twitter.com/JEGRbw7xAW
— WTA (@WTA) March 5, 2017
EASTBOURNE, England – Dominika Cibulkova capped off a fantastic week on the English seaside by winning her career-first grass court title at the Aegon International Eastbourne, blasting past Nottingham champion Karolina Pliskova 7-5, 6-3.
Watch live action from Eastbourne this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Cibulkova, who was forced to miss much of the 2015 season after undergoing Achilles surgery, seems to have firmly put her injury woes behind her. The resurgent Slovak was into her fourth final of the year at Eastbourne – including a run to the title in April at the Katowice Open. In fact, she’s tied only with Serena Williams for most finals appearances so far this year.
Things started off a little complicated for the 2014 Australian Open finalist as she went down a break right away. However, the swirling seaside winds wreaked havoc on Pliskova’s normally imperious service games, restoring parity and making for a topsy-turvy first set that saw them trade breaks three times. Cibulkova finally came away with the fourth and decisive break in the final game to take the first set 7-5.
With both players more acclimated to the conditions, the second set was more tightly drawn until Cibulkova clinched the break off a blistering backhand passing shot for a 3-1 lead. She tamped down a late surge from Pliskova to hold serve in a marathon 11-minute game to bring herself to 5-2 and within striking distance of the title.
Watching the ball sail long, Cibulkova could hardly contain her emotions after winning her second WTA title of the year.
POME!
First grass court title for Dominika @Cibulkova!? #AegonInternational https://t.co/US4Bnd6Qlo
— WTA (@WTA) June 25, 2016
“It’s very hard to describe, this has been my best week on grass and it just feels – it just happened and I can’t believe it,” Cibulkova said. “I was playing really well today but the conditions were really hard for me and my opponent. It was a great week for me.
“This is my second time here and I’m gonna come back many more years.”
Despite missing out on the Eastbourne title, Pliskova — who earlier this month won the title at the Aegon Open Nottingham and captured the doubles title at the Aegon Classic Birmingham — can’t complain about her grass court preparations.
“I’m really happy with the way I played this year on grass, with Wimbledon coming so I hope to have better results there,” she said after the match. “I have at least one title and now a final so it’s not that bad.”
With the win, Cibulkova is projected to grab a coveted Top 8 spot on the Road To Singapore Leaderboard, jumping from No.12 to No.7 after Monday’s rankings. She will now be ranked No.18, back into the WTA Top 20 for the first time in almost two years.
Congrats Dominika @Cibulkova!
Lift that #AegonInternational trophy ? https://t.co/aSeg4Wfdh8
— WTA (@WTA) June 25, 2016
Watch Johanna Konta hit the practice courts at the BNP Paribas Open.
LONDON, Great Britain – The 2016 WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party presented by Dubai Duty Free was all about elegance and extravagant outfits and although it was obvious that the WTA stars invested a lot of thought and energy into looking special, some players took things up a notch with attention-grabbing designs that are bound to make history when it comes to fashion at tennis red carpet events. Among them was Heather Watson, who left nothing to chance when it comes to British weather, making sure to have on hand an umbrella matching her dress, so that an unexpected rain wouldn’t ruin her glamorous look.
Our contributor Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog got in touch with Brett Mettler, Creative Director at Mettler London and the designer behind Watson’s intriguing olive green latex look.
Dress: @brettmettler ??
Shoes: @SOPHIAWEBSTER
Hair: @alessiomatta ??
Makeup: @Lisa_Benefit ?
Car: @JaguarUK ? pic.twitter.com/VQs4ore2DU— Heather Watson (@HeatherWatson92) June 24, 2016
For the second year in a row you are designing Heather’s WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party dress. How did you two start working together?
I was invited to a party by my brother-in-law Dom Inglot (member of the British Davis Cup team) and I met Heather there. We started chatting and hit it off immediately! She is such a playful and friendly person and we started having fun, talking about style, outfits etc. Inevitably the conversation came around to how we might be able to do something fun and exciting for one of her public appearances and with the 2015 Pre-Wimbledon Party on the horizon, we decided to focus on that.
Can you tell us something about the creative process behind the 2016 WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party dress design?
With the 2015 blue and pink chiffon dress, Heather wanted something playful, light and with a lot of movement to it. That was the starting point for the concept. This year’s dress, she wanted something really different. She wanted something a little more risqué and edgy but still very playful.
A lot of my own experience lies in using latex in a high fashion way, trying to bring it to a different audience through light and fun colors, cuts and formats. It seemed a great overlap for us to explore, so I started coming up with some latex concepts and we worked through a few iterations to make sure that it was something Heather could get excited about.
Are there some elements of the outfit that are Heather’s input?
Absolutely. As with anything I do for clients, I wanted the dress to reflect her personality and accentuate her best assets. Heather is such a complete package in terms of beauty; it is quite a tricky thing to know where to start from! But last year’s dress really let her legs do their thing because they are so lean and long and so we knew that this year, we would do the same. Sophia Webster’s shoes are so sensational that we wanted to give them their room to shine as well.
Heather was also keen to make sure that we changed the color palette, but of course it had to work with her striking skin tone. We felt the olive color really did that well. Finally, Heather really wanted something that drew attention to her back and shoulders, so the design features around those areas were there to draw attention.
Whose idea was to include an umbrella in the look?
That was all Heather! It was genius! She knew the color the dress would be, so she found an umbrella that obviously went with the whole get up, but it perfectly captured her playful character. She had been getting fed up with rain delays over the previous week or so, and it was raining on the day, so instead of letting it get her down, she decided to have fun with it.
I think it was the perfect accessory and I think everyone at the Party really got into it. To be honest, I wish it had been my idea!
Did you expect that the outfit would turn out to be one of the biggest fashion hits at the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party?
You never really know to be honest. You always hope, but we knew that this year, going out in latex was always going to be a point of conversation. It was either going to push the envelope, or push the envelope too far. I think we got it just right: unique and cheeky, but playful and elegant. I am glad that it got such huge and positive interest and of course I need to thank Heather for being such a wonderful character and model and also for being bold enough to go for the concept.
You completed postgraduate studies at London College of Fashion. How have you become a Latex Specialist?
My BA in Fashion Womenswear was at Central St. Martins and my final collection there in 2011 included latex. I got into latex before them, around 2008, through some friends who modelled in it. I thought it was such a striking material but one that by and large had a poor reputation with very few designers exploring all its possibilities. I also wanted to really see how latex could be incorporated with non-latex materials to create more exciting outfits and looks.
Since 2008 I have worked with some of the biggest names in latex and took that to my stints at Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh, and I am really excited generally to see how else I can bring it to a new audience. It really does makes you feel sexy though, so I recommend everyone have at least one signature latex piece in their closet: that pair of leggings or jacket that sets a look off!
Have you and Heather already discussed some looks for future red carpet appearances?
Of course, but you will have to wait for the next red or purple carpet to see what we’ve cooked up!
– Photos courtesy of Getty Images