Indian Wells: Kirsten Flipkens vs CiCi Bellis
Kirsten Flipkens takes on CiCi Bellis in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Kirsten Flipkens takes on CiCi Bellis in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Monica Puig dropped just two games against American wildcard Danielle Collins on her way to the second round at the BNP Paribas Open.
Puig put together a dominant performance against Collins to advance 6-0, 6-2 after just under an hour and ten minutes.
“I always like playing on center stage, I guess it’s where I feel most comfortable,” Puig said in her post-match interview. “I’m always happy to play in Indian Wells, it’s one of my favorite tournaments.”
It was a different story for Collins, who was playing in just her third main draw match of her career. She found herself outhit and out of her depth as she fell to the Olympic champion.
The 23-year-old American – a two-time NCAA singles winner at the University of Virginia – showed flashes of promise against Puig as she targeted the Puerto Rican’s backhand high over her shoulder. But she allowed Puig to dictate the pace and dominate the rallies.
.@MonicaAce93 cruises past Collins 6-0, 6-2!
Plays @KaPliskova next in @BNPPARIBASOPEN Second round! pic.twitter.com/nUyuWZWBq7
— WTA (@WTA) March 9, 2017
After being shut out of the first set after just 24 minutes, Collins rallied back to earn a confidence-boosting first break of the match to start the second set. But the joy was short lived as Puig came roaring back, grabbing the break right back to level the score before reeling off the last four games in a row for a spot in the second round.
“You never know what to expect – I used to play against [Collins] when I was like, ten years old. I haven’t played her in a few years so I needed some time to feel her out a bit. I found my groove and finished off strong,” Puig said.
Waiting in the second round is No.3 seed Karolina Pliskova – it was originally Serena Williams before she announced her withdrawal from the tournament and caused a reshuffling of seeds. Puig trails the Czech 0-3 in the pair’s win-loss record.
“For me it’s not really a huge change,” Puig said of having to play Pliskova instead of Serena. “I was already waiting on a difficult opponent if I made it to the second round, and I still got a difficult opponent in the second round.
“It doesn’t really change much; I’m familiar with Pliskova and I’ve played her a few times. Lost a few times, too. She’s near the top of the game right now because she’s an amazing player.”
Former World No.7 Belinda Bencic and doubles No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands feature among the list of Miami Open main draw wildcards. Check out the full list right here on wtatennis.com!
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Croatian wildcard Donna Vekic vaulted past American Alison Riske, 6-3, 7-6(3), to book a second round clash with 2015 BNP Paribas Open champion Simona Halep.
“I’m so happy,” she told WTA Insider after the match. “It was a bit tough in the second set, but I got through it.”
A former World No.62, Vekic has struggled with inconsistency since stunning Dominika Cibulkova to win her maiden WTA title in Kuala Lumpur back in 2014. Still, the 21-year-old has show signs of regaining her momentum to start 2017, reaching the second round of the Australian Open and the round of 16 at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
“This year, I’ve played some pretty good tennis. My level is definitely there, but I need to be more consistent to have it from the first point. Sometimes you need three matches to get the confidence to play well, because in practice I’m playing great. It’s just a few more matches and I’m sure it’s going to come.
“I feel really fit. I had some practice time before coming here, so I’m hoping I can keep the tennis level up.”
.@DonnaVekic puts the backhand away! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/ACj1y5hOwa
— WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2017
Against Riske, she posted impressive numbers off return, winning 68% of the Shenzhen Open runner-up’s second serve points and breaking the American five times in one hour and 42 minutes – all under the watchful eye of 1997 French Open champion Iva Majoli, the first Croatian woman to win a major title.
“I love playing on big courts and stadiums. This court is amazing; I warmed up on it this morning and it was huge. But I really enjoyed my time out there tonight.
“I was more nervous than I felt before the match, so I didn’t find my game straight away. I was struggling a little bit throughout the match, but that’s because the conditions here are so different. It’s not easy to play here, and playing the American as a wildcard was tough.
“I was just trying to work through the points. I was struggling with my serve in the wind and that’s usually my advantage, how I get some free points. I just had to work through it, stay in the rallies and win the hard way.”
Great defense and winner from @DonnaVekic! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/QuSV6DSwPE
— WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2017
Looming in the next round is No.4 seed and former French Open finalist Simona Halep, who will be playing her first match since St. Petersburg after skipping the Middle East swing to heal a persistent knee injury.
“I’m going to have to play good. But I’m really excited; she’s a great player. I’ve had one match here, and it’s not easy to come out and play your first match. But she’s obvious a great player who has played well here before.”
.@DonnaVekic ousts Riske 6-3, 7-6 (2)!
Faces 2015 @BNPParibasOpen champ @Simona_Halep next! pic.twitter.com/2OhG8NvgIt
— WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2017
It wasn’t all bad news for the Americans; ASB Classic champion Lauren Davis survived a Swiss onslaught from Viktorija Golubic, winning, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Davis next plays No.22 seed Anastasija Sevastova, who is coming off a run to the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
.@LaurenDavis93 edges past Golubic 6-4, 4-6, 7-5! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/ppkWu5vk7z
— WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2017
Around the grounds, Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka impressed in her Indian Wells main draw debut, knocking out countrywoman and qualifier Risa Ozaki, 6-4, 6-2, to book a second round clash with No.30 seed and former Australian Open quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai.
Shenzhen champion Katerina Siniakova recovered from a set down to defeat the resurgent Mona Barthel, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, while former World No.5 Lucie Safarova kicked off play on Court 4 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena.
Safarova will next play No.20 seed CoCo Vandeweghe, who is coming off a major breakthrough in Melbourne, where she reached the semifinals.
WTA Insider | Live from the Bank of the West Classic, check out all the action as first round play continues in Stanford.
Garbiñe Muguruza has Wednesday’s shot of the day at the Brisbane International.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Julia Goerges powered through to the ASB Classic final on Friday, but the second semifinal – pitting Caroline Wozniacki against Sloane Stephens – was stopped due to rain.
Watch live action from Brisbane, Shenzhen & Auckland on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
The first semifinal wrapped up before the skies opened, though Goerges did serve up a storm against Tamira Paszek – the German lost just six points in her first seven service games, eventually dropping serve mid-way through the second set but regrouping to close out the Austrian qualifier, 6-4, 6-2.
With the win, Goerges moves through to a WTA final for the first time in almost four years – her last WTA final came at Dubai in 2012 (falling to Agnieszka Radwanska). She’s 2-3 lifetime in WTA finals.
“I must say it feels very good to be in a final again after such a long time,” Goerges said. “But overall it was a very, very good match from my side – played very aggressively, served decently in the first set. Second set wasn’t a good first serve percentage, but it was a very, very good match from me.”
The former World No.15 will have to wait until Saturday morning to find out her opponent in the final, though, as the second semifinal – pitting No.3 seed Wozniacki against No.5 seed Stephens – was cancelled for the day due to rain. Stephens had opened up a 5-2 lead when the rain started to fall.
Here’s a taste of what Stephens was bringing to the table, courtesy of the WTA Twitter account:
Passingggg Shot! #WTA pic.twitter.com/QNEXyIkTC2
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2016
Sloane in the zone! @SloaneStephens hitting all the shots right now. #WTA pic.twitter.com/G1YfcgwEWy
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2016
Angelique Kerber takes on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International.
Chapter four of tennis’ history as a modern day Olympic sport was written in Sydney as the Games entered the new millennium and a new generation of stars looked to make their mark…
Sydney, Australia, 2000
Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Center
Hardcourt
The Olympic motto inscribed above the player’s entrance to the Sydney Olympic Tennis Center reads “Citius, altius, fortius”, and it is fitting that the player who moved faster, jumped higher and hit stronger than any other in 2000 was the one with a gold medal draped round her neck at the end of the Games.
Looking back, it is strange to think that going into the 2000 season there were question marks hanging over Venus Williams. Since breaking through at the 1997 US Open, Williams had struggled to deliver the results her talent deserved, watching her rivals – Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport and even sister, Serena – take home the major prizes.
This all changed in 2000 as Williams finally shook off her tag as tennis’ nearly woman by winning Wimbledon and the US Open. On the back of these triumphs, she arrived Down Under riding high on a 26-match winning streak and, despite not being on top of the rankings, was definitely the player to beat.
Her principal rivals for gold in Sydney were compatriots Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles as the United States looked to continue its dominance of tennis at the Games.
However, for Davenport, who struck gold four years earlier, the Games would end early, when a foot injury forced her to withdraw prior to her second round-match with Rossana de los Ríos.
Seles, meanwhile, eager to make up for the disappointment of a quarterfinal exit in Atlanta, was in fearsome form, racing past her first four opponents and into the semifinals. Waiting for her there was Williams.
In four previous meetings between the two, Seles has won a solitary set and her fortunes were not about to change; despite a mid-match walkabout on serve, Williams always had the upper hand, eventually winning in three.
The final itself proved to be something of an anticlimax.
Few expected 18-year-old Elena Dementieva to make it that far, and for the first set she looked in a state of shock herself. By the time she did settle, it was too late, Williams had found her groove and was racing off towards the finish line.
The harder the Russian tried, the better Williams played. Whatever she attempted – inside out forehands, down the line backhands all came back with interest – merely succeeded in inspiring the American.
Before long match point had arrived, and moments later Williams was dancing round the court, racquet in one hand, flag in the other. A memorable end to a memorable summer.
——
Olympic Memories: Atlanta
Olympic Memories: Barcelona
Olympic Memories: Seoul
Play will begin at Rio’s newly built Olympic Tennis Center on Saturday, but before then the WTA’s finest have been limbering up…
Venus Williams won gold in Sydney and was working hard ahead of her record-equalling fifth Olympics.
And after practice Venus was only too happy to fulfil her sisterly duties.
Fresh from her title run in Stanford, World No.13 Johanna Konta is a dark horse in the singles.
While British No.2 Heather Watson will hope to improve on her second-round showing at London 2012.
No.2 seed Angelique Kerber was all smiles ahead of her second Olympics.
Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova and Daria Kasatkina were also hard at work on the practice courts.
Kasatkina is one of just three teenagers in the singles draw in Rio.