Taiwan: Elina Svitolina vs Evgeniya Rodina
Elina Svitolina takes on Evgeniya Rodina in the first round of the Taiwan Open
Elina Svitolina takes on Evgeniya Rodina in the first round of the Taiwan Open
Russia’s No.1 Svetlana Kuznetsova sealed her very first WTA victory in her hometown with a dominating performance over Daria Gavrilova at the St Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Unseeded Kristina Mladenovic pulled off a stunner at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, dispatching No.4 seed and former World No.1 Venus Williams, 6-3, 6-1 in just 54 minutes.
“Venus is a top player, a top champion,” Mladenovic said after the match. “It must have been difficult for Venus to come here after playing back-to-back weekends. I was just trying to play aggressive tennis.
.@KikiMladenovic has made a blistering start against Venus Williams! @Formula_TX pic.twitter.com/n0QdLEfWEZ
— WTA (@WTA) February 2, 2017
“To be on the same court is a big honor. I’m very happy to say I played with her and that I won today.”
Mladenovic enjoyed a bright start to her first encounter with the Australian Open runner-up, attacking her second serve and raced into a 5-0 lead. The Frenchwoman’s aggressive game plan paid off even as Williams soon warmed up: she blitzed eight forehand winners into the corners and beyond the player almost 14 years her senior.
.@KikiMladenovic takes the opening set off Venus 6-3! pic.twitter.com/04DNVnkwRc
— WTA (@WTA) February 2, 2017
“It was a very difficult match. I just tried to be very aggressive from the beginning. I was quite sure it would be difficult for her to adjust from Australia, as it was for me the first couple of days.
“I tried to be solid and aggressive, trying not to give her time to adjust into her game. I think I did that pretty well today and I’m happy to get the win.”
Even as things got tenser in the opening set, world No. 51 kept her nerve and served it out on her second attempt.
“I had a good feeling at the beginning of the match. I started very well, playing powerfully and serving good. The 5-0 lead was kind of surprising in a way, but it put me in a good position and even when I got tight, I stayed composed to close out the first set. It gave me confidence to continue putting the workd in and win the match.
The No.4 seed staved off four break points to start the second set but Mladenovic wore her down and broke at her fifth opportunity to take the early lead and keep up the momentum.
.@KiKiMladenovic knocks out Venus Williams 6-3, 6-1!
Sets @Formula_TX Quarterfinal vs @Roberta_Vinci! pic.twitter.com/63GwkibraJ
— WTA (@WTA) February 2, 2017
She broke again en route to an emphatic a 5-1 lead, breaking one more time to clinch her spot in the last eight, where she’ll face defending champion and No.6 seed Roberta Vinci.
“It’s going to be a very tough match. Roberta is such a great player, with a lot of variety and tactics. Our last battle was a very good one at the quarterfinals of the 2015 US Open. She plays very well on this surface, so it’ll be a tough match, but I hope to play my best tennis.”
No.2 seed Dominika Cibulkova played impeccable defense to dispatch No.5 seed Elena Vesnina and reach the semifinals of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Elina Svitolina roared into the Top 8 of the Road to Singapore leaderboard thanks to her victory in the Taiwan Open.
Cruising to the title, the top seed beat Peng Shuai, 6-3 6-2 in Sunday’s final in Taipei City. The success moves her up from No.17 all the way up to No.8.
“I’m No.13 in the world,” she said after the final. “So you expect players higher in the rankings to be able to raise their level in tight situations. It happened today at a good moment.”
Should Svitolina maintain this current form, the youngster could find herself making her debut at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The Ukrainian barely missed out on a spot among the Greatest Eight last year, but made up for the disappointment by reaching the final in her first appearance at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Over in Russia, Kristina Mladenovic’s stunning success in the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy has seen her rise 339 places to No.13 in the Road to Singapore.
The 23-year-old was awarded 470 ranking points for her thrilling 6-2 6-7(3) 6-3 win over Yulia Putintseva on Sunday, her first WTA title secured in her fourth final. Her defeated opponent moved into the Top 20 – up to 18th from 64th.
“The wait was definitely worth it,” said Mladenovic after her win. “To clinch my first WTA final here, especially at a Premier event, I feel really happy right now.”
Click here to check out the full Road to Singapore leaderboard.
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