Tokyo: Osaka vs Svitolina Highlights
Naomi Osaka takes on Elina Svitolina in the semifinal of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Naomi Osaka takes on Elina Svitolina in the semifinal of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
TOKYO, Japan – Caroline Wozniacki came to the Toray Pan Pacific Open having re-asserted her presence among the game’s elite at the US Open. Ranked No.74 in late August, the Dane roared into her first Grand Slam semifinal in exactly two years, and reminded fans and pundits that she was still one to watch.
Backing up that run in New York might have been tough for some, but Wozniacki’s week in Tokyo was arguably more impressive, earning two more Top 10 victories – including a thrilling win over No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska – to take her first title of 2016. Can she keep up her exciting start to the WTA’s Asian Swing?
WTA Insider caught up with Wozniacki after withstanding the charge from Japanese teenager, Naomi Osaka:
WTA Insider: Take me through the week and how you were able to maintain your form from the US Open with some great wins. What was the key for you this week in Tokyo?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great week, and I think the court really suits me. It’s kind of fast; the ball is a little heavy, but I’ve played well here in the past, and I think grinding and fighting for every point was key. I had some tough three-set matches here this week, and I managed to pull those off. I’m just really happy to be here at the end of the tournament.
WTA Insider: Going back to maybe a few days after the US Open, and you’re thinking about the rest of the season. What’s going through your mind as you know you’re playing well and have a great opportunity in Asia. What’s your motivation or your thought process before heading to Tokyo?
Wozniacki: Honestly, I took some days off and relaxed after enjoying a good US Open run. I had some sponsor commitments, and had a few hits, or actually one hit before I left for Tokyo. I practiced with a few of the girls here before my first match. I felt good, like I was hitting the ball well. I knew I’d face a few tough opponents, but I was feeling confident and hitting the ball well. That combination is good for me.
WTA Insider: Did you think you had a level of confidence heading to Tokyo that you hadn’t had the rest of the year?
Wozniacki: I just felt like I played well at the US Open, and if I could keep that up, I would be tough to beat. But you never know; it’s a new week, new tournament, and I was just coming in here trying to take one match at a time – I know that’s a cliché – and go from there. I know that, when I’m healthy, I can play well, so hopefully I can carry this on into the rest of the year.
WTA Insider: Flashback to Zhuhai, and maybe again when we spoke in Eastbourne. Your injuries were creeping up and had obviously derailed your season for several months. You kept saying that if you kept working, surely luck has to break your way somehow. Do you feel like that’s what has happened over the past four weeks?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great few weeks. I’m just happy that I’ve managed to get some great wins under my belt. It hasn’t been about getting easy draws, but I’ve gotten some breaks to win the tight matches. I’ve been healthy for a little bit now, which is huge for me. Hopefully I can build on that moving forward.
WTA Insider: Talking about the final a little bit: you fell behind the early break, and was able to turn things around. Was there a leg issue as well?
Wozniacki: I don’t know; hopefully it’ll feel better tomorrow. I got some treatment on it, got it taped up. Right now, I’m going to try and enjoy this win for as long as I can. It was a tough match; Naomi’s a great player, and really young, so she has lots of potential. I think we’ll see lots of her in the future.
WTA Insider: You were talking about the ability to turn things around and play better tennis in New York, and you’re playing much more offensively, getting to the net. That seems like a change; is that something you’ve put into your mind about shortening points?
Wozniacki: I think I’m maybe moving a little bit faster. I’ve been able to work on my fitness, so that means that I can get to the ball faster and take it earlier. That gets my opponent out of position, and that makes it easier to get to net, when the opportunity is there.
WTA Insider: You’re going to board a plane fairly quickly to head over to China. There’s lots of points in Wuhan and Beijing. How much does getting back into the Top 20 or other possible ranking goals play on your mind?
Wozniacki: Not really. I’m playing well; obviously, being in the Top 10 is a goal. But everything else, I’m just happy to have won here and I’m going to do my best to deal with this really quick turnaround. We’ll have to see how I can do that, go out there and fight.
WTA Insider: The semifinal you played against Aga was one of the most riveting matches of the year. You had your back against the all and were able to pull that out. How much do those wins over top players mean to you right now?
Wozniacki: It was such a great fight. Aga and I know each other so well, and we know each other’s games so well. We always know we’re going to have long rallies, and it’s going to be a fun match for both of us. I had my back against the wall and she was playing really well, but I somehow managed to fight and stay aggressive. I went for my shots and they went in at the right moments. It was a grueling match, but a fun one and I really enjoyed it. It definitely means a lot beating a top player, and feeling like I’m back where I want to be.
WTA Insider: Do you fee like you are? Are you there, or are you getting there? Where is Caroline right now?
Wozniacki: I think I’m feeling good. Obviously, you can always improve and always play better. But I feel like I’m hitting the ball well; I’ve beaten four Top 10 players in the last couple of weeks, and it’s been good. I’m just enjoying it and hopefully I can carry this momentum forward to the rest of the year.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
WUHAN, China – Monica Puig is getting a crash-course in the propulsive nature of the tennis season. After a solid quarterfinal showing at the Toray Pan Pacific Open last week, Puig lost in the first round of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open on Sunday to Roberta Vinci, 6-3, 6-3.
On paper it was a standard result. Few would bat an eye at the sight of the No.15 player in the world knocking out the No.33 player in straight sets.
But nothing is standard for Puig these days. Not since her jaw-dropping run at the Olympic tennis event in Rio, where she defeated now World No.1 Angelique Kerber to win gold, capping off a week that saw her notch career-best win after career-best win. It’s been a whirlwind six weeks since then and the 22-year-old now finds herself between two worlds: one that continues to revel in the glory of gold and one that has relentlessly moved on.
“There’s been a lot of media attention, a lot of focus on just the Olympics,” Puig told reporters after the match. “It’s kind of hard when you have to focus on other things, other tournaments, and everybody keeps bringing you back to Rio.”
After becoming the first man or woman representing Puerto Rico to win Olympic gold, Puig was back on court two weeks later. With the spotlight on her in New York, she bowed out in straight sets in the first round of the US Open to Zheng Saisai.
“It’s a bit tough when you come off the biggest win of your career, the biggest tournament you’ve ever won, and all of a sudden you have to get back to training.
“I feel like Rio definitely drained me mentally and physically because it was a lot to take in. I wish I obviously would have had that time to full-on celebrate, and that would have been it. The tennis calendar isn’t that forgiving.”
Asked directly whether she wished she could have taken a time-out after Rio, Puig did not equivocate: Yes.
“A lot of gymnasts are doing Dancing with the Stars, all this and that,” Puig said with a laugh. “I’m in Wuhan, which is not bad. It’s not bad.
“It’s not something that I’m used to, winning something this big, then having to continue and keep going. I would have loved to celebrate. I would have loved to have some downtime, give my body a little bit of a breather to catch up with everything that’s happened.”
When asked whether she might take some consolation in other players’ ability to battle through a post-Slam winning slump, Puig singled out Angelique Kerber’s ability to get back on track as a good reason not to panic. She also emphasized one simple fact: she wouldn’t trade her gold medal experience for anything.
“It’s like a shock to the body and to everything else,” Puig said. “All of a sudden you’re just like, ‘No way did this just happen.’ I just had that one match in New York, then I came to Tokyo and I had a really good tournament. I think it’s just coming back to thinking about what you have to do, not getting overshadowed by what happened or anything.
“I bet [other players] must have been the same: going to sleep and thinking about everything just happened, that they won a Grand Slam. I think probably for Kerber it’s a little bit different now since she’s had two and so much success, so maybe she’s getting used to it.
“In terms of me, I never had this type of moment. It took me a while to go to sleep and actually calm my thoughts and not replay that moment over and over again. It’s still very new, still very fresh in my mind. I will officially always be labeled the ‘Olympic gold medalist’. I’m getting used to the title.”
Next up for Puig is next week’s China Open and then she will stay in China to play the Tianjin Open. Her goal is to finish the season on a good note and set herself up to be seeded at the Australian Open in January.
“I know when vacation time comes around, I’m not going to be thinking about tennis,” Puig said. “I’m going to turn off Twitter, Instagram. I am going to be like hiatus, out. Nobody is going to know about me for two weeks. I think it’s also healthy to just focus on myself, on the rest, what my body needs to recover, and to start a good pre-season.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Serena Williams is a legend on the tennis court and a megastar off it, and with over seven million followers on Twitter she sits near the top of the list of most followed athletes on social media.
Now, Serena has vowed to use that reach to speak up about race relations and police-involved incidents in the United States, particularly on the allegations of increased police violence toward unarmed African Americans.
Serena took to social media to post a heartfelt and powerful message, candidly expressing her fears for the safety of her 18-year-old nephew.
“I had to take a look at me. What about my nephews? What if I have a son and what about my daughters?” Serena said in a lengthy post to her Facebook page. “As Dr. Martin Luther King said, ‘There comes a time when silence is betrayal.’ I Won’t Be Silent.”
It’s not the first time Serena has commented on the issue, previously speaking out about police brutality after her record-tying Wimbledon victory.
“I feel anyone in my color in particular is of concern. I do have nephews that I’m thinking, ‘do I have to call them and tell them, ‘Don’t go outside. If you get in your car, it might be the last time I see you?'” she told reporters back in July.
“I don’t think that the answer is to continue to shoot our young black men in the United States. It’s just unfortunate. No one deserves to lose their life, doesn’t matter what color they are, where they’re from. We’re all human.”
WUHAN, China – Barbora Strycova won the first of two scheduled matches after getting rained out on Wednesday, recovering from a set down to defeat Guangzhou runner-up Jelena Jankovic, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Strycova will play No.10 seed and WTA Finals darkhorse Dominika Cibulkova, who roared past No.5 seed and US Open runner-up Karolina Pliskova, 6-2, 6-2.
Watch live action from Wuhan on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
“It’s great to have the roof because we got to play,” the Czech veteran said in her on-court interview. “I’m very happy to be through to the quarterfinals. It was a very tough match for me, with a lot of ups and downs, but I’m happy to get the win.”
Strycova had reached the round of 16 in her last two Wuhan appearances, but was in trouble early on against Jankovic, a former No.1 overcoming an injury-prone season to reach a final at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open just last week.
“You have to find the motivation all the time if you want to compete and bring a good level. The first set wasn’t really the way I wanted to play. I didn’t move well, so I started to move better, put more balls into the court. That helped me get my rhythm.”
When you can't stand the rain…☔️☔️☔️
…against your window! https://t.co/eOUN40H3iq
— WTA (@WTA) September 29, 2016
Strycova overcame a few moments of frustration to level the match, but Jankovic made a battle of it in the end, saving a match point in the tenth game of the decider, but ultimately succumed on Strycova’s second match point after two hours and 21 minutes.
“At the end, I was able to win a few more points than her, and that made the difference.”
She has her eye on you, Domi.
Pliskova-Cibulkova underway under the roof. Winner plays Strycova tonight. pic.twitter.com/w06RFNJYOC
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 29, 2016
While Strycova struggled through three grueling sets, Cibulkova charged past Pliskova in an hour and 15 minutes, dropping just four games to keep her hopes of making her debut appearance at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global alive.
“This was my first match on Center Court against such a big-serving player. It was tough to play but I was really focused, mentally ready, and playing my good tennis. I’m really happy to be into the quarterfinals here.”
The roof remained closed in Wuhan, even as the rain abated on the outer courts.
“Last week, I played in Tokyo in similar conditions, and I play at home under a closed stadium. We’re professionals, so we have to be prepared to play in any situation.”
Cibulkova will play Strycova for the first time, as she aims to earn as many points as possible to remain inside the Top 8 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard by week’s end.
“It’s going to be another tough match, a different one. Two matches in one day isn’t easy, but I want to be ready for it.”
BEIJING, China – Friday’s China Open draw placed Agnieszka Radwanska on a last 16 collision course with former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki.
Over the past fortnight, Radwanska and Wozniacki have crossed paths in Tokyo and Wuhan, and should both clear the opening couple of hurdles in the Chinese capital another showdown awaits. Wozniacki came back from the brink to win in Tokyo – where she went on to lift the title – before the Pole gained revenge this week in Wuhan to reduce her arrears in the career head-to-head to 5-9.
Radwanska, the No.3 seed, begins the calendar’s final Premier Mandatory event against Wang Qiang, with the winner of Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova lying in wait in the second round. Wozniacki, the 2010 champion, is unseeded and was paired alongside CoCo Vandeweghe first up. Victory over the big-serving American could see her meet No.13 seed Roberta Vinci.
New Word No.1 Angelique Kerber begins her challenge against a qualifier, while No.2 seed and defending champion Garbiñe Muguruza faces Irina-Camelia Begu.
Muguruza has endured a disappointing second half of the season and is in need of a good run in Beijing to confirm her return to the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Her hopes of doing so were done no favors by the draw, which placed Petra Kvitova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Madison Keys in her quarter.
The prospect of meeting Kvitova in the third round will be particularly daunting, given her spectacular form in Wuhan, while Kuznetsova and Keys are both looking to secure a place in Singapore. Whoever is left standing after running this gauntlet is likely to face No.4 seed Simona Halep for a place in the final.
In the top half, Kerber finds herself in a section that also includes Barbora Strycova, Elina Svitolina and No.6 seed Venus Williams.
Draw @ChinaOpen is out. 1R highlights: Wozniacki-Vandeweghe, Pliskova-Safarova, Stosur-Zhang, Mladenovic-Jankovic. pic.twitter.com/Rsz6DFuCbl
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) 30 September 2016
An interview with Madison Keys before her first round match at the China Open.
BEIJING, China – World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska defeated the tricky Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets to advance to the third round of the China Open and put herself in pole position to qualify for the WTA Finals.
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Makarova did well to avoid the first set shutout – she was down 5-0 when she finally got on the scoreboard and began to mount a comeback – but Radwanska powered through 6-3, 6-4 after just over an hour an thirty minutes on court.
Everything seemed to be going Radwanska’s way at the China National Tennis Center on Monday night. Despite facing fierce resistance from the Russian in the second set, Radwanska struck 20 winners and just eight unforced errors against Makarova’s 25 winners and 31 unforced errors. She also served at 52 percent and fired five aces.
.@ARadwanska with the drop shot to lob combo! ? https://t.co/mjfnrJ9FJ7
— WTA (@WTA) October 3, 2016
With the victory Radwanska edges even closer to qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. In fact, she’s one win away from a spot in the season-ending event, but she could still qualify without lifting a racquet if both Johanna Konta and Svetlana Kuznetsova lose in the second round.
“I just hope I can [qualify] here, that’s for sure,” Radwanska said after her win last round. “But, well, I had the situation last year when I had to win the Tianjin Open to qualify for Singapore, and I did it. Of course, it was last-minute qualifying.
“I will try everything to qualify a bit before that this year. Everything is open. This is a big event. Everybody can do a lot of points here.”
That doesn’t mean Radwanska’s in the clear just yet – standing between her and a ticket to Singapore is the winner between giant-killer Roberta Vinci and familiar rival Caroline Wozniacki. It would be the third meeting in as many weeks for Wozniacki and Radwanska, with the pair splitting their previous encounters and Tokyo and Wuhan.
BEIJING, China – Petra Kvitova overcame some early resistance from local favorite Wang Yafan to safely take her place in the third round of the China Open.
Watch live action from Beijing on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Continuing the dominant form that took her to the title last week in Wuhan, Kvitova required little more than an hour to wrap up a 6-4, 6-1 victory and set up a showdown with defending champion Garbiñe Muguruza.
Beijing resident Wang came through qualifying to take her place in the main draw and even with the roof closed due to rain she looked at ease on court. In fact, it was the World No.143 that broke first, edging 3-2 ahead when Kvitova netted a backhand.
Any suggestion that Kvitova’s recent exertions were in danger of catching up with her were given short shrift. A break to love began a run that would bring her 10 of the next 12 games and place in the third round.
Happy to be through in Beijing! Thanks to my friend Mr Roof 😉 @ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/ZzNePB6CtB
— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) October 4, 2016
“I was pretty tired. I had two days off, which I think helped me. For sure, was a good win today. We’ll see how everything is going, like, in the next days,” Kvitova said.
“But I think I still do have motivation. I think it was a great week in Wuhan. I think that gave me more motivation and confidence, which I really needed before. I’m not really struggling with motivation here.”
While Kvitova’s head was ready for Wang, the same could not be said for her hands – a botched grooming session meant she took to the court with her fingers generously taped.
Kvitova with 3 fingernails taped so I ask what happens thinking it's blisters.Nope: manicure gone wrong. “Never do gel”, she said in a laugh
— Carole Bouchard (@carole_bouchard) October 4, 2016
If the Czech keeps winning, she still has an outside chance of reaching the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Muguruza is also in the hunt for a place in Singapore, where last year she defeated Kvitova in an epic round robin encounter.
Kvitova, who avenged this with a three-set victory in Stuttgart, is expecting another tight affair: “For sure will be great match. I think it will be great battle again. I know how we fight in Stuttgart. It was a great match over there.
“I know how dangerous she is. I mean, she’s really playing aggressive from both sides and she’s serving real well and returning as well. That’s why I think I really need to be ready from the first shot which I’m playing.”
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska after her win in the round of 16 at the China Open.