Montréal: Halep vs. Kuznetsova
Simona Halep takes on Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup.
Simona Halep takes on Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup.
WTA Charities brought together Ana Konjuh, Donna Vekic and dozens of young Russian players and wheelchair tennis players for a Masterclass Clinic at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
An interview with Sara Errani after her win in the first round of the Apia International Sydney.
Madison Keys takes on Kristina Kucova in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup.
Kristina Mladenovic had Sunday’s shot of the day at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Her relentless pursuit of the highest echelons of tennis now comes with the reality of having to deliver week-in and week-out. Ranked World No.3, Garbiñe Muguruza has gone from underdog to favorite, and along with that comes the inevitable – pressure.
“Before, I was Garbiñe who had chances to win; now I’m Garbiñe who is supposed to win,” Muguruza told Spanish reporters during the off-season.
“Until now I had never found myself in a situation with so many expectations and so much pressure. It’s something I have to take in, because you can’t learn that off of the court. You’re out there and you have to manage it.”
But the 22-year-old Spaniard remains undaunted by the big task of meeting high expectations – in fact, she’s learned to relish the pressure.
“It’s about dealing with it on your own,” she said, “because there’s no one who can teach you how to handle it all. It’s a part of my job – all this pressure. And I love it.”
And another thing Muguruza is loving are her chances at the Australian Open despite having to bow out of the Brisbane International early, her first tournament of 2016 cut short by the flare up of a long-standing foot injury. She’s optimistic that it won’t be a problem in Melbourne.
Muguruza hasn’t made it past the fourth round at Melbourne yet, but she also has never been seeded so high – her ranking guarantees a Top 4 seed. The only people to knock her out of the Happy Slam – Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska – are both in the Top 4 as well, so she won’t have to face them until at least the semifinals.
Can the youngest member of the WTA Top 10 seize this opportunity and win the biggest title of her career in Melbourne?
Following last week’s withdrawals, the International Tennis Federation has updated entry lists for the upcoming Olympic Games, adding Magda Linette and Polona Hercog to the singles competition.
A new UK-wide campaign to promote gender equality in tennis has just launched – and coach and former Great Britain Fed Cup captain Judy Murray is right behind it.
Murray, a strong supporter of women in tennis, is running ‘She Rallies’ in partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association, which aims to encourage more girls into tennis by providing more female coaches.
Girl gang. Me and my #SheRallies ambassadors after long day training at @DavidLloydUK Shady Lane. Thats not a typo ? pic.twitter.com/LKlfhrZpLy
— judy murray (@JudyMurray) February 4, 2017
The project launched last weekend with a conference in Birmingham attended by key figures from sport and business – and Murray urged them to get behind the scheme’s objectives.
@BritishTennis SE #SheRallies Ambassadors with Queen Bee @JudyMurray at the helm!! “Be the change you want to be” – we're ready ??? pic.twitter.com/w5QDTTGAur
— Jo Ward (@Jo_Ward33) February 6, 2017
“We have now trained a team of female ambassadors to go out and empower women and girls to play, compete and deliver tennis,” Murray told the audience.
“This is our first step to addressing the gender imbalance in our sport.”
Twelve years after tennis was relaunched as an exhibition event during the 1984 Los Angeles Games, the sport returned stateside for the centenary Games in Atlanta…
Atlanta, United States, 1996
Stone Mountain Tennis Center
Hardcourt
Now appearing in its third consecutive Games, tennis was beginning to come of age as an Olympic sport by the time it arrived in Atlanta. And by the time the flame had died out above the Centennial Stadium, one of the game’s bright young things had completed her own rite of passage.
Aside from an injured Steffi Graf, all the big names were present in Atlanta. America’s Monica Seles topped the seeds and after a stellar year was many people’s favorite for gold at the recently completed Stone Mountain Tennis Center.
However, by the time the business end of the tournament had arrived, it was another American who was podium bound and winning the hearts of the American public.
Up until then, Lindsay Davenport was known as the big-hitting Californian who had struggled to convert her prodigious talent into titles that mattered. Still just 20 by the time the Games rolled around, Davenport had been a near-permanent fixture in the Top 10 for two years, but still only had a handful of minor titles and Slam quarterfinals to show for her efforts.
Yet at an Olympics where so many of her compatriots were shining on the track and in the pool, Davenport couldn’t help but be inspired, producing some of the best tennis of her career to defeat Anke Huber, Iva Majoli and Mary Joe Fernandez to reach the final.
“For the last two weeks, I’ve been hearing “The Star-Spangled Banner” so much for the other athletes,” Davenport said after defeating Fernández. “And only last night did I really think I could hear it for myself.
“I realized that actually when Michael Johnson was on the stand, and Dan O’Brien. I thought, ‘I want to hear that song so badly now.'”
And hear it she did.
Taking on the tour’s toughest competitor in Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, the old Davenport may have succumbed to the pressure. The Atlanta version came out fighting like a lion.
With neither player able to break serve, the first set went to the tie-break. Davenport moved ahead, 6-4, only to let Sánchez-Vicario back into it with a backhand that sailed wide and a lob that drifted long.
The American responded with a strong serve and deep volley to go back ahead before taking the set with a touch of good fortune when a backhand drive hit the tape and trickled over.
From here there was no looking back; Davenport secured two early service breaks in the second and soon after was serving out for an emotional 7-6(6), 6-2 win.
“This means everything for me,” Davenport said. “No matter what else happens in my life, I’ll always be a gold medalist.”
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Olympic Memories: Barcelona
Olympic Memories: Seoul
Sara Errani has Tuesday’s shot of the day at the Apia International Sydney.