Birmingham: Sunday Highlights
Highlights from final round action at the Aegon Classic.
Sania Mirza, India’s most successful female tennis player, has revealed that she is in discussions over a Bollywood movie based on her life following the publication of her autobiography, Aces Against Odds, last year.
“There are some talks going on, but there’s nothing concrete right now,” the 30-year-old told Al Jazeera in an interview. “I’m a private person, so it is a difficult ask of me to open up completely.”
The 41-time WTA doubles champion also said she was aiming to return to the top of the WTA doubles rankings, a position she last held in at the start of 2017.
“We’re trying to win every tournament, whether it’s a Grand Slam or a regular tournament,” she said. “It would be great to get back to number one in the world, but I was there for almost two years. I feel like I just want to keep working hard and playing as long as I enjoy the pressure of competing.”
Mirza, who won the Brisbane International this year with WTA World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands, also has six Grand Slam doubles titles to her name. She won the Australian Open last year to go with her 2015 victories at Wimbledon and the US Open, while in mixed doubles she won the Australian Open in 2009, the French Open in 2012 and the US Open in 2014.
Mirza, whose husband is Pakistan international cricketer Shoaib Malik, also spoke about the impact Bollywood can have in giving other sports exposure in a country obsessed with her husband’s game.
“We try to act like we are a sporting nation two months before the Olympics, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games. Until then, nobody really cares. We need to remember that we have champions outside of cricket, as well.
“Most sports don’t get the kind of support, help or viewership that is given to cricket. But because of movies, the whole country realises who these people are. Bollywood is probably the biggest industry that we have. It’s one way to reach out to the masses and, actually, celebrate.”
An interview with Roberta Vinci before her opening round match at the Aegon International.
Watch as Andrea Petkovic joins Feliciano Lopez on a cliff driving trip at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco.
Garbiñe Muguruza hasn’t had too much time to revel in her maiden Grand Slam triumph. Not long after stunning World No.1 Serena Williams to win the French Open, the Spaniard had to shift focus to yet another major tournament, one played on courts that serve as a stark contrast to slow red clay.
“I just have to keep a totally open mind,” she told press after her opening round loss at the Mallorca Open. “I came to Mallorca with very little time to prepare. I mean, yesterday I was still in Paris, and this is a totally different surface.
“The truth is I’m disappointed, but now I’m just training harder to arrive ready for Wimbledon.”
While many French Open champions tend not to grab too many headlines as the tour takes over the All England Club, all eyes will be on Muguruza to see if she can back up last year’s breakthrough fortnight, when she upset Agnieszka Radwanska to reach the final – becoming the first Spanish woman to make it that far since Conchita Martinez in 1994.
“Oh man, I barely remember the last time. It’s been over a year since my [Wimbledon] final, and it feels like ages since I last stepped on grass. But sure, it brings me great memories, even though grass isn’t a surface I’ve always loved – I didn’t used to like it at all.”
While back-to-back quarterfinal appearances foreshadowed this year’s title run at Roland Garros, the Spaniard had won a grand total of one main draw match at Wimbledon, and was perilously close to elimination in bother her second and third round matches to Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Angelique Kerber before catching fire in the second week.
“I’ve learned to love it more lately, with time. And then reaching the final at Wimbledon, that was something so special.
“It’s always a hard switch, especially the first few days on grass, but there’s little tricks to help adjust.”
Playing her first major final, she played Williams through two tough sets, admitting to nerves playing a part in keeping her from stepping over the finish line.
“I felt I had a lot of opportunities against her, and I just thought in Wimbledon I was very nervous,” she said after winning in Paris. “I couldn’t really control that.”
After losing the opening set of her first round, Muguruza looked in complete control in Paris, rolling over the field and winning 12 straight sets en route to the title and a new career-high ranking of No.2. Whether the quantum leap in her resume gives her more confidence remains to be seen, but seems to know she can’t rest on her laurels.
“When you step out onto the court, it doesn’t matter if, last week, you’ve just won a Grand Slam, in the end it comes down to who can play their best on that day.”
Muguruza’s career has already been full of the highest of highs and lowest of lows; it took her until the Asian Swing to recover from reaching last year’s Wimbledon final, but she made up for lost time in style, going undefeated in round robin play of her BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global debut.
This season, but contrast, has been a slow build, putting one solid result on top of another before she was able to climb up and grab a piece of Grand Slam glory. A steep drop-off wouldn’t be out of character, but certainly out of step for a player who has not only evolved into a Grand Slam contender, but a Grand Slam champion.
Click here to read more about this year’s Wimbledon Contenders, courtesy of WTA Insider.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Madison Keys single-handedly ended two surprising droughts during a water-logged week in Birmingham, England. By winning the Aegon Classic on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Barbora Strycova, the 21-year-old became the first American woman in 17 years to make her Top 10 debut, and ended her own two-year title drought dating back to 2014 (Eastbourne).
The last American woman to make her Top 10 debut? Serena Williams in 1999.
WTA Insider caught up with Keys after her milestone week in Birmingham.
WTA Insider: Congratulations on the title at the Aegon Classic. How do you feel?
Keys: I feel great. I think it’s definitely the best outcome I could have had and really happy I was able to get this many matches on grass leading into Wimbledon.
WTA Insider: It wasn’t an easy week in Birmingham with the weather. You seemed to handle all of it well. You didn’t get distracted or anything. Do you agree?
Keys: Yeah, I do. I was pretty lucky with how my matches seemed to go. I don’t think I had any rain delays once the match started and never had to play two matches in one day so I was pretty lucky. But there were definitely was times I didn’t think the tournament would get to the final.
WTA Insider: You played incredibly well in the first set. The second set Barbora came back and started throwing more variety at you. You had to save break points. In the past, that’s a set you lose. That wasn’t the case today.
Keys: Yeah, I was definitely expecting her level to raise. I think as well as I played in the first set, I don’t think she played her best, so definitely was expecting it. There were a couple of break points that I had where she just came up with a serve or a shot that was too good. That was a little bit frustrating. But I was really happy that I was able to figure my way out of some really tough service games where I was down a break point and things weren’t going as easily as they were in the first set.
But I agree, I think it was was a set that in the past I definitely could have lost and it could have changed the match. So really happy with the personal growth I feel that I’ve had.
Such a great week in Birmingham. Thanks for all the support!! ??? pic.twitter.com/DmPSPBZznQ
— Madison Keys (@Madison_Keys) June 19, 2016
WTA Insider: Talk about dealing with adversity in matches. Do you feel like you’re not panicking as much in those moments?
Keys: I think not panicking is a huge aspect of it. A sense of calm that no matter what happens you’re always in a match, even you can be down 5-0 in the second set and you can come back and win. Knowing that has really kind of helped me calm down and really help me take each game point-by-point, and not thinking oh I’m down 0-40 I have to win three points.
I feel like sometimes I would have the tendency to try and win three points in one. So I’d try and hit harder, hit an ace, just to get back to even as quick as possible. So I think that sense of calm has really helped me and really helped my game.
WTA Insider: You’ve talked about wanting to improve your consistency. You’ve now made the final in Rome, a good run at the French Open, and now the title. Is it just all coming together, or that you’re healthy? Talk about the last month, month and a half or so.
Keys: I just feel really good. I feel like my team has come together and I’ve had a lot of great support.
But I also feel like it’s just all slowly coming into my game. I feel like for me I almost have too many options sometimes where I know I can get away with hitting a winner 10 feet behind the baseline and it might go in three out of 10 times, but having that option makes me think about it. So I think just sticking to basics has really helped me. It’s been a lot of hard work but I think the practices that I had with a really solid team has really helped me in matches.
WTA Insider: You’re into the Top 10. Has it sunk in yet that you’re one of the 10 best players in the world right now?
Keys: That’s crazy! No, it hasn’t sunken in. A lot of my family members will keep calling me and saying “Hi, Top 10 player!” It’s definitely not something that’s sunken in yet. It’s something I’m going to get used to and I’m really looking forward to it.
WTA Insider: You’re the first in this century from America to make her Top 10 debut.
Keys: That’s craziness. I feel like there’s been so many great American tennis players in the last 10-15 years that have been probably been really really close to that. But it’s definitely a huge honor that I was the first one.
WTA Insider: How did you find out you had a shot to break into the Top 10 last week?
Keys: The WTA tagged me in a tweet about it the morning of the semifinals match. It showed up on my phone. I quickly x-ed out and was like ‘You didn’t read that. No. Don’t think about it.’ So that’s kind of how I find out but once I was on the court it wasn’t even on my mind.
WTA Insider: You must be pretty pleased about being able to stay focused and not let that distract you.
Keys: It was more of a thought in the morning when I saw it. I was like ‘Oh my gosh, that’s huge.’ Then when I was on the court I obviously had a slow start and once that happened it wasn’t even in my brain anymore. You should try to win some points.
Can we get Netflix to greenlight a Keys family reality show? #AegonClassic pic.twitter.com/5qGgZpPpNr
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) June 19, 2016
WTA Insider: You’ve had a steady rise through the rankings. Your year-end ranking has improved year over year. But when we spoke at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai last year you seemed pretty down about yourself and your season.
Keys: I definitely was feeling a bit down at the end of the season. Part of it was it was a really long season for me. It was the longest season I had ever had. But I think now I’ve just got so much better at not even listening to the outside opinions that it doesn’t affect me anymore. I think I used to be really concerned with what other people were thinking or how things were coming across, and people don’t always have all the information. So listening to anyone who was outside my small support group was harming me. I think I got a lot better at that.
Having a really tough off-season and start of the year has really made me appreciate playing tennis and being healthy and being able to just go out and compete at the highest level just knowing that I had all of the practice and all of the work put in.
WTA Insider: Let’s talk about the work you have put in. There’s a lot that goes on outside of the limelight that we don’t get to see. Can you key in on a moment during those closed door training sessions that helped you unlocked things this year?
Keys: I think a big thing working with [trainer] Scott Byrnes is he’s helped me get so much stronger and that’s been such a huge factor for me. Being stronger means I’m able to last a little bit longer and makes me feel like I put all this work in off of the court, so I know when I’m on the court I know that I’m physically ready to be out there for as long as it needs to take.
Obviously we work on different things for different seasons. Before the red clay season we worked a lot on the aerobics. Before grass season stated we were working more on power and strength because it’s a much bigger first strike game. So all those little things have helped me so much. I’ve been really lucky to have an amazing trainer.
Read more about Keys’ trainer Scott Byrnes in our Coach’s Corner, and listen to more from Keys in the latest episode of the WTA Insider Podcast:
Former World No.11 Shahar Peer, 29, officially announced her retirement on Tuesday. Peer retires as the most successful Israeli woman to ever play on the WTA.
“I want to share with you one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my life,” Peer wrote on Facebook. “After 23 years, in which 13 of those years I was an international professional tennis player, I am retiring 🙂
“I made this decision following a chronic inflammation in my shoulder, that has been lasting for over two years, and prevents me from competing at the high level that I am used to and expect from myself. At the same time, I lost my desire for the game of tennis and the intense way of life I have lived since I was 6.5 years old.
“I look back on this experience with a huge smile, a lot of happiness and satisfaction. I am proud of all of my accomplishments as well as the huge honor I was given to represent the state of Israel.
“I want to thank everyone for your never-ending support that I received every single day, every hour and every place I went to around the world. This Friday, ‘Ulpan Shishi’ on Channel 2 will broadcast a segment about my career, my deliberation about my retirement, and my plans for the future. I promise to continue to update you about every interesting development of Chapter 2 of my life.”
After turning pro in 2004, Peer won five WTA titles and became the first Israeli woman to make the quarterfinals of a Slam, doing it twice in 2007. In 2008, she became the first Israeli ever to compete at a WTA tournament in the Arabian Peninsula at the Qatar Total Open.
In addition to her successful WTA career, Peer was a Fed Cup stalwart for Israel, playing over 75 matches and compiling at 45-31 record. In 2008 she represented Israel at her first and only Olympic Games in Beijing.
Peer had not played a match on tour since the 2016 Abierto Monterrey, where she lost in the opening round of qualifying to Viktorija Golubic.
Caroline Wozniacki was relentless on the return of serve in her 6-2, 6-1 win over Samantha Stosur at the Aegon International in Eastbourne. Wozniacki earned four breaks in Stosur’s seven service games during the match.
SAP Tennis Analytics for Coaches shows just how much pressure Wozniacki was able to put Stosur under during the match. Wozniacki won 49% of her return points played (which jumps to 50% when including Stosur’s one ace and two double faults). That’s an improvement over her season average of 44% of return points won.
Wozniacki was particularly aggressive on second serves, making 92% of those returns from inside the baseline.
While Wozniacki won just 40% of her break points (4-of-10), that number is deceptive. Wozniacki forced a break point in five total games. With four breaks, Wozniacki won 80% of the games in which she had a break opportunity.
This is a continuation of the form that Wozniacki showed in her first round match in Eastbourne against Alizé Cornet. Through two rounds, Wozniacki has broken serve nine times in 15 return games while winning 53% of return points.
The SAP Coaches View combines scoring information direct from the chair umpire with tracking data from HawkEye to allow for an in depth look at five different aspects of a match. Each tracking option can be filtered to narrow the focus to specific situations within a match, such as break points. This information is available directly to coaches in real-time during a match on their SAP tablet and also available to them online after matches.
“Return of serve” tracking shows where each service return was struck, differentiating between first and second serves, with an emphasis on how many serves are returned from inside the baseline. This data can be filtered by a particular score.
If Wozniacki can continue to apply pressure to her opponents’ serve, she may find herself returning to the winner’s circle this week in Eastbourne.
Monica Seles Hosts Kids Clinic In Budapest
Former World No.1 Monica Seles arrived in Budapest for the Hungarian Day of Tennis, which celebrates the past, present and future of Hungarian tennis, and hosted a kids’ clinic alongside other Hungarian former players.
“It’s been fantastic to be invited by the Hungarian Tennis Federation to be a part of the WTA tournament here in Budapest, and also to participate in the Hungarian Day of Tennis kid’s clinic,” Seles told wtatennis.com.
“I hope we can spread the love of tennis and inspire a lot of young kids to pick up a racquet, and hopefully one day see them on center court.”
Budapest Champion Timea Babos & Monica Seles Auction Signed Racquets
Timea Babos captured the title in front of her home crowd in Budapest at the Hungarian Ladies Open, and she’s also helping to give back to her community.
Babos and Seles have donated autographed tennis racquets – the same racquets they played with this past week – which will be put on auction for two weeks after the tournament. All proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House, the tournament’s charity of choice.
“I think it’s wonderful that the WTA tournament here in Budapest has a charitable side,” Seles told wtatennis.com. “And it’s great that the WTA has started a charitable foundation – I think it’s so important to give back.
“We in sport are very lucky to do what we love and make a living out of it, and anytime that we’re able to give back, it’s a huge honor and happiness in my heart.”
Johanna Larsson & Chan Yung-Jan Host Clinics In Dubai
Over in Dubai, Johanna Larsson and Chan Yung-Jan (Latisha) hosted a set of children’s and youth clinics to inspire the next generation of tennis hopefuls.
Larsson enjoyed some mini-tennis with children at the JP Morgan Kids Clinic and also had a hit with two promising juniors from the region, while Latisha hosted the Lacoste Special Needs Clinic, which involved children and teenagers who don’t let their disabilities hold them back when it comes to keeping active and enjoying tennis.
Latisha interacted with the children, posing for selfies, signing balls and answering their questions about what life is like as a professional tennis player.
“I always like coming to these clinics as it’s so much fun to make the kids happy and help them enjoy tennis,” she said. “It’s great to put smiles on their faces, and Dubai Duty Free always puts on a great show for the children.”
JP Morgan’s Breakfast With A Champion
Also in Dubai, hosts Mickey Lawler, President of the WTA, and former British No.1 Annabel Croft were joined by former doubles World No.1 Sania Mirza at JP Morgan’s Breakfast With A Champion.
In front of an audience made up of JP Morgan’s female bankers and employees, the event celebrated powerful female role models.
WTA Charities is the WTA’s global philanthropic organization dedicated to making a positive impact across the globe. Our mission is to be a social responsibility vehicle built on the WTA’s values to empower and provide for a better future. We’re dedicated to combining, strengthening and enhancing the community and charitable efforts of the WTA through its members (players, alumnae and tournaments), along with our partners.
Click here to see more WTA Charities activities!
EASTBOURNE, England – Petra Kvitova got her Wimbledon preparations back on track with a hard-fought win over Timea Babos at the Aegon International Eastbourne on Tuesday.
Watch live action from Eastbourne this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Following a frustrating week in Birmingham, Kvitova got some much-needed time on the grass, prevailing in a high-quality encounter, 6-4, 7-6(5). In the third round she will face either Lesia Tsurenko or Johanna Konta.
Kvitova was forced to play second fiddle for much of the opening set, struggling to hang onto her own serve and making little inroad on her opponents’. However, having barely coughed up an error in the opening half hour, at 4-4 Babos suddenly found herself two break points down after a couple of loose groundstrokes.
Sensing her moment, Kvitova ghosted into the net to scythe away the volley. The No.5 seed’s willingness to move forward proved decisive in the following game, too, fending off a couple of break points on the way to serving out the set.
The second set was just as evenly contested, but once again it was Kvitova – who finished the match with 30 winners – playing the more positive tennis at the decisive moments, guiding a backhand down into the corner to close out victory.
“I’m kind of feeling that I am playing well, even though I lost some of the matches in a couple of months,” she said after the match. “It wasn’t easy today, she was serving really well and it was very difficult to break her – I had to wait for my chances.”
After a brilliant first-round display against Lucie Safarova in Birmingham last week, Kvitova spent the next couple of days waiting for the rain to subside before losing a stop-start match with Jelena Ostapenko. And despite more difficult conditions on the south coast, Kvitova is relishing the time on court ahead of her favorite major.
“It’s always good to get more matches under your belt going into Grand Slams, especially Wimbledon when we don’t have that many events on grass. I’m glad to win today and still be in the draw!”
Tight match today, Timea made life very difficult for me. Happy to survive! ?? #AegonInternational pic.twitter.com/0dS1ms66I7
— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) June 21, 2016