St. Petersburg: Tuesday Highlights
Highlighs from the first round action at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Highlighs from the first round action at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Charleston local Shelby Rogers stunned the No.1 seed Madison Keys in three sets to move into the Volvo Car Open round of 16 for the first time.
Highlights from first and second round action at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Good friends and doubles partners Daria Kasatkina and No.9 seed Daria Gavrilova did battle for well over two hours at the Volvo Car Open, with Kasatkina emerging victorious, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 to reach her second straight quarterfinal in Charleston.
“Today was very tough to play,” she said in her post-match press conference. “You go on court, you are tossing the ball for the serve and it goes in the tribune, you know. It was very difficult, and I was playing against my very good friend, so it was like double portion of toughness, but it was I think a good match, so I’m happy that I won.”
The pair’s last singles match came at the 2015 US Open, which Kasatkina won as a lucky loser in her Grand Slam main draw debut. Since then, the two have become fast friends and nearly upset Sania Mirza and Andrea Hlavackova earlier this week in doubles.
“Every tournament we are talking like, ‘Ah, imagine we play against each other.’ When the draws come out, we’re like, ‘For sure we play against each other first round,; and it never happens. And today we’ll go for dinner.”
.@DKasatkina kisses the line with the backhand! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/Q4nf2iqEna
— WTA (@WTA) April 6, 2017
On the singles court, it was the Russian who made the better start on a windy Thursday on stadium court, taking the opening set and breaking serve at the start of the second.
.@Daria_Gav makes the smash through the wind! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/WJHgMcOwf9
— WTA (@WTA) April 6, 2017
Gavrilova is three spots shy of the career-high ranking she first earned last fall, and battled through the blustery conditions to win four straight games to put the match nearly on level terms.
We're going all the way!@Daria_Gav takes the second 6-4! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/RPig9zJmv1
— WTA (@WTA) April 6, 2017
Kasatkina regained her rhythm from there, breaking the Aussie as she served for a decider, and engaged Gavrilova in a lengthy tenth game on her own serve before the No.9 seed took it on her fifth set point.
Still, the unseeded Russian took momentum into the third, breaking serve in the opening game and raced to a 5-0 lead, winning one last epic battle and converting the two hour, 17 minute victory of a service winner.
“In the second set my coach came on the court. He told me I was start to play quite soft, and I stopped moving. He was right, because in the third set I pushed myself to play more aggressive, to start to move with the legs, and I did the job.”
.@DKasatkina is flying through the final set! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/ZPV1PZzXjC
— WTA (@WTA) April 6, 2017
There were no hard feelings at net for the two combatants, showing off a choereographed handshake after a tough match.
“She was like, ‘Okay, let’s do the weird handshake. And I said, ‘Let’s go like fake handshake!’ So we just were trying to make some fun.”
“I had a few tough months. I couldn’t win a match,” she added, discussing a tough season that nonetheless saw her earn two wins over World No.1 Angelique Kerber. “So I came here with not a lot of expectations for sure. I was just happy that I came back on the clay so I can play my favorite tennis, and I’m happy that I’m moving on and I’m in the quarters here.”
Up next for Kasatkina is No.10 seed Irina-Camelia Begu, another 2016 quarterfinalist who stunned 2010 champion Samantha Stosur to start the day in Charleston.
“She will be very motivated because she lost our last two matches. For sure she will try to do her best, and she’s better on the clay for sure. All her best results are on the clay. And I lose our only clay court match in Rome last year. “So for sure I have to prepare well to show my best tennis tomorrow.”
When it’s over and you’re still buds. @DKasatkina @Daria_gav @VolvoCarOpen. pic.twitter.com/tWByGIzw1a
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 6, 2017
KEY INFORMATION:
Tournament Level: Premier
Prize Money: $2,000,000
Draw Size: 28 main draw (4 byes)/32 qualifying
Qualifying Dates: Saturday, February 13 – Monday, February 15
First Day of Main Draw: Monday, February 15
Singles Final: Saturday, February 20, NB 7.00pm GST
Doubles Final: Saturday, February 20, 5pm GST (before singles final)
MUST FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
@WTA
@WTA_Insider – WTA Insider, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen
@DDFTennis – official tournament handle
Get involved in conversations with the official hashtags, #ddftennis and #WTA.
TOURNAMENT NOTES:
· Simona Halep has accepted a wildcard to defend her Dubai title.
· There have been five different champions in the past five years in Dubai. There are two returning champions in the field this year – Halep (2015), Petra Kvitova (2013).
· For the complete draw click here.
WILDCARDS:
Simona Halep (ROU), Petra Kvitova (CZE), Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
WITHDRAWALS:
Angelique Kerber (right thigh injury), Agnieszka Radwanska (left leg), Lucie Safarova (bacterial infection), Serena Williams (illness), Caroline Wozniacki (left knee injury)
MONTERREY, Mexico – World No.1 Angelique Kerber needed an hour and twenty-three minutes to see off the defending champion Heather Watson in straight sets and book her spot into the semifinals of the Abierto BNP Seguros, 6-4, 6-4.
“I think it was a good match, especially at the end,” Kerber assessed in her post-match press conference.
“We both struggled a little bit but I’m happy to be in the semis right now.
“I tried to play my game aggressive, and it’s always tough to play against Heather, especially because she was the defending champion here. But I’m happy I’m through it.”
First set ? @AngeliqueKerber!
Leads 6-4 in the opening set vs Watson! pic.twitter.com/zVWJO5D4YN
— WTA (@WTA) 8 de abril de 2017
Although Kerber, a runner up here in 2013, drew first blood early on by grabbing an early break, Watson kept pace with the World No.1 for much of the opening exchanges. The Brit’s backhand was on song throughout the match, despite being the constant target of Kerber’s booming forehand.
Watson kept Kerber under constant pressure – she brought up five break chances to try to erase the German’s lead, but Kerber held on to her serve after a mammoth struggle.
She opened the second set with another comfortable break of the Watson serve, but the defending champion kept herself within touching distance, needing a nearly 10-minute game to hold serve and avoid going down a double break.
World No.1 @AngeliqueKerber knocks out defending champ Watson 6-4, 6-4!
Makes @Abierto_GNP Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/9snfVzUS52
— WTA (@WTA) 8 de abril de 2017
But despite being able to hang with the World No.1 in the baseline exchanges, Watson was never able to break down the Kerber serve. She went 0/8 on break opportunities – two of these chances coming while Kerber served for the match.
Carla Suárez Navarro lies in wait in the next round for Kerber – the No.4 seed ousted Alizé Cornet in straight sets, dropping just two games in the 6-1, 6-1, 57-minute demolition.
“I’ve played against Carla a lot of times before, and we always have tough battles. I think it will be another good match tomorrow, I know I will have to play good tennis.
“But the goal is just to try to enjoy the semis and try, of course, to win the next match.”
DUBAI, UAE – Three WTA stars brought out their best pick-up lines ahead of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, hoping to earn your affections on Valentine’s Day before play begins.
2015 Wimbledon finalist Garbiñe Muguruza tried on her best Eartha Kitt impression, while former World No.2 Petra Kvitova was hoping for some directions into your heart.
Check out the video and some more WTA Valentines on wtatennis.com!
Check out the Road to Singapore standings after Monterrey and Charleston.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Danka Kovinic has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the rankings in the last 12 months, but was made to work in the first round of the Rio Open; the No.3 seed beat American Sachia Vickery, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in just over two hours.
“It was so tough to play,” a tired Kovinic admitted after the match. “It’s very humid and hot here, and I came from Serbia, where it’s very cold. For me, it was very hard to play; I felt like I didn’t have energy, but somehow I found a way to finish the match.
“I really don’t feel good right now.”
At a career-high ranking of No.50, the 21-year-old Montenegrin next plays the winner of veterans Romina Oprandi and Sílvia Soler Espinosa for a spot in the quarterfinals and the chance to pocket valuable ranking points that can help her return to Rio later this summer for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
“I’ll try to do the best to earn as much points as I can; I really need them for the Olympic games. That’s my goal for this year.”
Earlier in the day, No.5 seed Polona Hercog took out qualifier Jennifer Brady, 6-4, 6-2, and resurgent American Shelby Rogers upset No.8 seed Andreea Mitu, 6-2, 6-2. Mitu’s countrywoman Ana Bogdan defeated local wildcard Gabriela Ce, 6-2, 6-3, while Paraguay’s Veronica Cepede Royg recovered from a set down to defeat Anna Tatishvili, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3.
An intriguing first round match concerns a pair of wildcards in Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia and former World No.21 Sorana Cirstea, who is playing her first WTA event since last fall in Tokyo; despite a rain delay in the second set, Cirstea emerged victorious, 6-2, 6-1.
Top seed Barbora Strycova edged past former junior prodigy Marie Bouzkova in three sets to reach the second round of the Ladies Open Biel Bienne.